2023 Land Rover Defender recalls and problems

The 2023 Land Rover Defender has 9 safety recalls and 97 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Land Rover dealer.

Recalls
9
Complaints
97
Crashes / fires
0 / 0
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2023 Land Rover Defender vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2023 Land Rover Defender recalls

Recall 26V-599: Electrical System

Reported Sep 17, 2026 · 23,677 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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 converter may malfunction due to an electrical overload that can occur during high power demand. Additionally, a software error can cause the DC-DC converter to stop functioning at vehicle start-up under certain circumstances. Failure of the DC-DC converter will result in the loss of 12-Volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.

Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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 available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is E008. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V248.

Recall 26V-389: Air Bags

Reported Jun 12, 2026 · 250,857 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: 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. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.

Recall 26V-248: Electrical System

Reported Apr 17, 2026 · 170,169 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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 F-Pace, and 2021-2022 Jaguar E-Pace mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs). Insufficient electrical load balancing during times of high demand can lead to a current overload condition and malfunction of the DCDC converter. A failure of the DC-DC converter will result in a loss of 12-Volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.

Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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 contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's numbers for this recall are D126 and H575.

Recall 25V-016: Equipment, Back Over Prevention

Reported Jan 16, 2025 · 28,370 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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 requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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 recall is N972.

Recall 24V-450: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Jun 17, 2024 · 2,013 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: 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 number for this recall is N908.

Recall 23V-789: Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Reported Nov 22, 2023 · 121 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: Detached brake calipers can reduce braking ability and cause structural wheel damage, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

Recall 23V-137: Child Seat, Seats

Reported Mar 2, 2023 · 812 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: A child seat with reduced strength may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: 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 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N768.

Recall 23V-044: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Feb 2, 2023 · 6,724 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: 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 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N763.

Recall 22V-523: Seat Belts

Reported Jul 21, 2022 · 4,927 vehicles affected · Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: Improperly restrained occupants have an increased risk of injury during a crash.

Fix: 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 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N720.

2023 Land Rover Defender problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Electrical System45
Engine14
Visibility/Wiper14
Exterior Lighting14
Power Train7
Steering7
Lane Departure7
Unknown or Other5
Forward Collision Avoidance4
Fuel/Propulsion System2
Vehicle Speed Control1
Tires1

Most reported parts

  • Lane Departure › Assist — 4
  • Lane Departure › Warning — 3
  • Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking — 2
  • Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control — 1
  • Structure › Body — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 43,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2023 Land Rover Defender complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Exterior Lighting · reported Nov 10, 2026
Both front LED headlight assemblies on my 2023 Land Rover Defender 90 have developed widespread internal polycarbonate lens crazing (micro-cracking) with no external impact damage. These fractures scatter the LED beam pattern, disrupt the cutoff line, and noticeably reduce forward nighttime road visibility—especially in rain or fog—creating a safety hazard. A local Land Rover dealership confirmed via video that a brand-new Defender on their lot with 10 miles on the odometer exhibits the exact same lens crazing, indicating a systemic manufacturing or material defect.
Exterior Lighting · reported Nov 10, 2026
This complaint is a follow-up and expansion to existing NHTSA Complaint XXX regarding premature, cascading headlamp assembly failures on a 2023 Land Rover Defender X (VIN: [XXX]). At approximately 45,300 miles, the driver-side Daytime Running Light (DRL) signature halo suffered an internal electrical failure. To maintain vehicle safety and forward conspicuity, I paid out of pocket to replace the complete driver-side headlamp assembly at Land Rover Austin. Within days of that repair, at 45,319 miles, the passenger-side original factory headlamp assembly suffered an identical failure. The…
Electrical System · reported Nov 9, 2026
DC/DC converter failure, left my wife stranded. Software update failed to fix. Car is undrivable. Land Rover won't assist with towing or paying for repairs even though this issue is covered under NHTSA Recall Number 26V-248.
Exterior Lighting · reported Nov 6, 2026
I am reporting a suspected systemic safety defect involving premature failure of the integrated LED daytime running lights (DRLs) on 2020–2026 Land Rover Defender (L663) vehicles. The DRLs reportedly fail at relatively low mileage, frequently around 50,000 miles, during normal vehicle operation. The suspected cause is overheating and premature deterioration of the integrated LED driver electronics due to inadequate thermal management. The precise cause requires investigation. This failure eliminates an important daytime vehicle conspicuity feature, reducing visibility to approaching…
Exterior Lighting · reported Nov 4, 2026
I own a 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 X. The passenger-side daytime running light halo is completely inoperative. On November 2, 2026, an authorized Land Rover dealer inspected the vehicle and advised that the entire passenger-side headlamp assembly must be replaced. The quoted repair cost was approximately $3,255, plus applicable taxes and fees. The dealer also advised that the vehicle cannot pass HawaiÊ»i’s required safety inspection because of the lighting failure. The original headlamp has not yet been replaced and remains available for inspection. There has been no crash, fire, injury or…

Other Land Rover Defender years

Compare all Land Rover Defender years · All Land Rover models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2023 Land Rover Defender have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 9 recalls for the 2023 Land Rover Defender: 26V-599 (electrical system), 26V-389 (air bags), 26V-248 (electrical system), 25V-016 (equipment, back over prevention), 24V-450 (engine and engine cooling) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2023 Land Rover Defender?

Owners report electrical system problems most often (45 reports), followed by engine (14). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 43,000 miles.

Are Land Rover recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Land Rover dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.