FaultScore

Land Rover Defender window and wiper problems

59 of the 391 complaints filed about the Land Rover Defender are about the glass, mirrors and wipers — 15% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2022.

59

Complaints

15%

Share of all complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers complaints by model year

1990 Defender 1 1.7%
2001 Defender 1 1.7%
2003 Defender 1 1.7%

Median failure at 30,000 miles

2020 Defender 7 11.9%

Median failure at 3,828 miles

2021 Defender 13 22.0%

Median failure at 1,500 miles

2022 Defender 14 23.7%

Median failure at 8,000 miles

2023 Defender 14 23.7%
2024 Defender 1 1.7%
2025 Defender 7 11.9%

What owners said

2023 Land Rover Defender Menlo Park, CA

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Front windshield is extremely fragile. The smallest rock will create a chip which will spider across the windshield within a couple days. I have an older Land Rover and there have been more rocks with only a few small chips and no spider. Cheap glass installed on the new Land Rovers.

NHTSA complaint #11751772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2025 Land Rover Defender Miami, FL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The windshield cracked the 1st week owned the car. Land Rover didn’t warranty the windshield and have to buy a new one for 2500. The second windshield got a rock chip and now it expanded into a crack over 3 days.

NHTSA complaint #11750447 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Land Rover Defender Knoxville, TN

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Went through 4 windshields in just over 2 years of ownership, cracks repeatedly from minor stone impacts, presents safety risk for visibility while driving or risk of shattering after cracking from minor impact. Clearly is a manufacturing defect as is reported for multiple owners of Defenders since 2020.

NHTSA complaint #11742698 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2025 Land Rover Defender Chattanooga, TN

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I am now on my 4th windshield on my 2025 Land Rover Defender 110. I have had 5 chips/cracks on these windshields. Only 1 crack was from a rock that you might expect glass breakage, the others were all caused by small pebble sized road gravel that was more like insect splatter. Safelite was repairing 1 very small chip and the windshield cracked during this common repair. Clearly the provided glass is substandard and should be upgraded for all Land Rover Defenders. I now never drive this car without the thought of another windshield break that’s about to occur.

NHTSA complaint #11736331 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2025 Land Rover Defender Chattanooga, TN

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I am now on my 4th windshield on my 2025 Land Rover Defender 110. I have had 5 chips/cracks on these windshields. Only 1 crack was from a rock that you might expect glass breakage, the others were all caused by small pebble sized road gravel that was more like insect splatter. Safelite was repairing 1 very small chip and the windshield cracked during this common repair. Clearly the provided glass is substandard and should be upgraded for all Land Rover Defenders. I now never drive this car without the thought of another windshield break that’s about to occur.

NHTSA complaint #11736333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2025 Land Rover Defender Chattanooga, TN

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I am now on my 4th windshield on my 2025 Land Rover Defender 110. I have had 5 chips/cracks on these windshields. Only 1 crack was from a rock that you might expect glass breakage, the others were all caused by small pebble sized road gravel that was more like insect splatter. Safelite was repairing 1 very small chip and the windshield cracked during this common repair. Clearly the provided glass is substandard and should be upgraded for all Land Rover Defenders. I now never drive this car without the thought of another windshield break that’s about to occur.

NHTSA complaint #11736334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2025 Land Rover Defender Brentwood, TN

VISIBILITY/WIPER

30 years of car ownership have never had a chipped or cracked windshield. 2025 Land Rover Defender has had 3 rock chips in a year and now a 20" crack from very minor impact from a pebble. This windshield has a design flaw and is extremely fragile.

NHTSA complaint #11726310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2025 Land Rover Defender Gainesville, FL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Driving down the road and my windshield spontaneously cracked. No road debris, no rock, no trauma or accident.

NHTSA complaint #11721273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2020 Land Rover Defender Mckinney, TX

VISIBILITY/WIPER

We have had our vehicle for 3 years and had to replace our windshield twice from random cracks starting from the exterior windshield where it meets the body of the care. It has happened on its own, twice, which impact from any object. The cost of the windshield, as installed is over $2000 each time, and it is repeated occurrence with owners.

NHTSA complaint #11717917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Land Rover Defender Eugene, OR

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Took my car to the dealership to have the windshield replaced due to a rock chip. Driving home on the freeway with the new windshield installed, I noticed a new crack moving across the windshield. I had on driven only 45 miles. Contacted Landrover and was told it was just an unfortunate chance event. I previously had a windshield replaced for the same reason. I now need my 3rd windshield in 1 1/2 years

NHTSA complaint #11678957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2025 Land Rover Defender Woodbridge, VA, VA

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Front Windshield has cracked. Defender has less than 10K and has only been driven on city roads and highway. No offroad. Chip left of center occurred from pebble while driving on Freeway back February. Took vehicle to Safelite for repair within a week. Two months later Chip expanded into a lateral crack extending nearly two feet towards passenger side. Crack is now extending towards driverside almost 10" Land Rover claims Defender is made for offroad but there appears to be the windshield is structurally weak.

NHTSA complaint #11672321 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Land Rover Defender Trophy Club, TX

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The windshield is very prone to splintering, chips and cracking from even small roadway impacts. I have had to replace the windshield twice in the last 6 months. This has been an ongoing problem with Defender 90 windshields from what I can read and the manufacturer is very aware of it. The windshields pose a danger to the driver at worst and an ongoing and expensive maintenance expense at best.

NHTSA complaint #11658983 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Land Rover Defender Austin, TX

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The windshield on my Land Rover Defender cracked from a tiny pebble. I sealed the crack but I'm just waiting for it to crack again. My friend [XXX] has the same car and he's on his fourth windshield. When I purchased the car, the sales person recommended the extended warranty because "the windshield is $3000 and you'll use it". INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11623228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Land Rover Defender Dripping Springs, TX

VISIBILITY/WIPER

a random crack appeared without incident in the front window and proceeded to progress across rapidly where repair was not an option.

NHTSA complaint #11617866 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Land Rover Defender Lake Zurich, IL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Windshield cracked for no apparent reason. No rock chip. Crack at upper middle of the windshield and goes towards driver side about 16 inches long.

NHTSA complaint #11599602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Land Rover Defender Chattahoochee Hills, GA

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Subject vehicle was parked outside in the driveway of my home for ~1 week and wasn't driven. During that time daily temperatures reached into the low-to-mid 90s with plenty of sun. With no impact damage whatsoever the windshield developed a crack starting on the driver's side outer edge and propagating inward approximately 18" toward the center of the vehicle. Vertically, the crack is located approximately midway between the bottom and top of the windshield.

NHTSA complaint #11597345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Land Rover Defender Tampa, FL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The windshield of the vehicle had a crack form from the upper passenger corner down to the middle of the glass then turning towards the middle of the glass. It is about 16 inches long and the temperature was a modest 85 degrees F.

NHTSA complaint #11585649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Land Rover Defender Pace, FL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Windshield cracks easily.

NHTSA complaint #11585715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Land Rover Defender Northborough, MA

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Vehicle windshield spontaneously cracked with large crack extending across most of passenger side. Vehicle has 10K miles. No offroad driving. No rock or foreign object struck vehicle. Driven on smooth roads. Weather was not issue. This is clearly a SAFETY issue. Crack will likely extend and I will need to replace windshield in vehicle less than 1 year old. I will take a picture of it. It needs to be replaced immediately..I've arranged service but am worried that vehicle-specific windshield is inherently flawed, regardless of who installs it. This was common knowledge (frequent cracks) in this model through 2022 but I don't know what has been done to address the problem. thank you

NHTSA complaint #11585616 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Land Rover Defender Lake Alfred, FL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Windshield cracks. Minor chips causes major cracks that go across the windshield and reduces visibility. While driving, I watched the crack spread across my sight line which impaired driving. This is the second windshield I have had to replace in two months. Service center states that are having to repair many windshields for this vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11577756 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Land Rover Defender problems