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2023 Land Rover Defender Recalls, Complaints & Specs

9 safety recalls list the 2023 Land Rover Defender, and owners have filed 82 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

9
safety recalls
82
owner complaints to NHTSA
16–20
MPG combined (EPA)

9 safety recalls for the 2023 Land Rover Defender

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Dc/dc converter (electrical system)

    NHTSA 26V599000 Reported 23,677 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar, Jaguar E-Pace, F-Pace, and Land Rover Discovery vehicles. The DC-DC…

    Remedy: Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is…

  2. Air bags: frontal

    NHTSA 26V389000 Reported 250,857 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2026 Discovery, and 2022-2026 Range Rover vehicles. The driver’s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.

    Remedy: Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driver’s air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 3, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837.…

  3. Dc/dc converter (electrical system)

    NHTSA 26V248000 Reported 170,169 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery, 2020-2023 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover, 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Jaguar…

    Remedy: Dealers will update the central software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may…

  4. Software (back over prevention) and video (touch)screen/monitor/unit (equipment)

    NHTSA 25V016000 Reported 28,370 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023 Discovery Sport, 2023-2024 Defender, and 2023 Range Rover Evoque vehicles. The touchscreen in the center console may go blank at vehicle startup, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the…

    Remedy: Dealers will update the touchscreen software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this…

  5. Filter/screen (engine and engine cooling)

    NHTSA 24V450000 Reported 2,013 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Defender, 2024 Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The oil filter housing can crack and leak oil into the engine compartment.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the filter housing, oil filter, and o-rings, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's…

  6. Critical fasteners (service brakes)

    NHTSA 23V789000 Reported 121 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 vehicles modified for the TRek Off-Road Competition. The brake calipers may not be reinstalled properly, allowing the brake calipers to detach.

    Remedy: Dealers will reinstall the brake calipers, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 18, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N848.

  7. Vehicle tether anchor (child seat) and mid/rear assembly (seats)

    NHTSA 23V137000 Reported 812 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 vehicles equipped with third-row seats. The third-row seatback latch may not latch properly, reducing the strength of a child seat installed to the top tether.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the third-row seat frame and components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at…

  8. Oil/lubrication (engine and engine cooling)

    NHTSA 23V044000 Reported 6,724 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Range Rover Sport, 2020-2023 Range Rover, Defender, 2022-2023 Discovery, and 2023 Range Rover Velar vehicles. The engine cam carrier oil channel may be blocked, which can lead to an oil leak.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine cam carrier and related components as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at…

  9. Pretensioner (seat belts)

    NHTSA 22V523000 Reported 4,927 vehicles potentially affected Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

    Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2022-23 Land Rover Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport and 2022 Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners may be damaged, which can cause the seat belts to not properly restrain occupants.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at…

82 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2023 Land Rover Defender have filed 82 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 52,750 miles. Complaints peaked in 2026 with 45 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“My 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 X Dynamic is less than four years old and recently passed its 50,000-mile new-vehicle warranty limit. A LED daytime running light (DRL) should not fail this early. The”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 28, 2026 · Exterior lighting

“The contact owns a 2023 Land Rover Defender. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available.”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 1, 2026 · Electrical system

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2023 Land Rover Defender (Defender 110, Defender 110 MHEV, Defender 130 P300 MHEV, Defender 130 P400 MHEV, …). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined16–20 mpg
City / Highway14–18 / 19–23
FuelPremium
EPA classStandard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Engine4/6/8 cyl, 2/3/5 L
TransmissionAutomatic (S8)

Compare Land Rover Defender model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Land Rover Defender model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1990 Land Rover Defender01
1992 Land Rover Defender10
1993 Land Rover Defender12
1994 Land Rover Defender10
1995 Land Rover Defender21
1999 Land Rover Defender01
2001 Land Rover Defender01
2002 Land Rover Defender03
2003 Land Rover Defender01
2020 Land Rover Defender755
2021 Land Rover Defender942
2022 Land Rover Defender675
2023 Land Rover Defender982
2024 Land Rover Defender726
2025 Land Rover Defender113
2026 Land Rover Defender36

Checking a specific 2023 Land Rover Defender

How do I know if my 2023 Land Rover Defender has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 9 campaigns currently list the 2023 Land Rover Defender; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Land Rover dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 22V523000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Land Rover models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.