Land Rover Defender Complaints

230 consumer complaints on file.

#11711036January 14, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle experienced an electrical fault and shortly after receiving the warning on the dash, the vehicle completely lost power in the middle of traffic. The dealership has told me that the hybrid battery and DC converter both need to be replaced, but the DC converter is on indefinite back order. Based on information I’ve learned from others and I’ve heard from the dealership, Land Rover has been aware of this issue for about a year, but parts have been unavailable for several months. My dealership alone has several of the same vehicle suffering from the same problem, get Land Rover seems to have no path towards resolution.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710926January 14, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Powerconverter failure. Repair part unavailable Constant coolant leak (documented more than 4 repair attempts since purchase.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710631January 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DC/DC Converter went out and car had to be towed away. Part is on back order for several weeks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710060January 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Defender is only 2 years old, with 59k miles. Outside of warranty. It is a mild hybrid. Received an emergency electrical fault issue. Car stalled out. Had to get it towed to dealership. Its been with the dealership for a month now, with another month anticipated for the part, a dc converter, which is on backorder with LR to be delivered. Battery is dead also. Total repair is estimated at $3100. I will be without the vehicle for atleast 2 months. Looking through the internet it appears this is an issue with LR. Filed a complaint with LR corporate. They are aware of this happening also to vehicles which would explain the backorder on the part. No recall yet however.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709828January 9, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
My car died on December 14, 2025 when I was pulling out of my driveway. It read “stop safely electrical fault detected.” And then shut down and would not turn on. Then it said “battery low. Please start engine.” But the car would not start. I had to get it towed to the dealer. They told me it was a the DC converter or the epic module. They said this is a company wide issue with the 2023 defenders and they do not have the part in stock and that it is on back order. Right now they are stating that the part may be in in mid February. Previous to this issue I also had issues two times with my car stating engine coolant issues and had to bring it to the dealer two times to get fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709786January 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
System electrical failure due to a faulty part (DC/DC Converter). This essentially prevents the charging system so the battery dies and the car becomes undriveable. When this occurred to us, the car was in the middle of the road and could not start or move impeding traffic. This is a growing problem among owners of this vehicle and so much so that the part is currently backordered due to so much demand. A warning message was displayed stating "Drive Safely: Electrical Fault Detected".
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709570January 8, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I had the car while driving loss of power then engine light came on. Dealer twice checked and stated no issue until they tested and found that the replacement of the Hybrid battery system was issue. I've found this same issue with Converter system showing up with others on the facebook 'The New Defender Owners' group. It seems to be a larger issue JLR is not telling people about that has been issue over a couple years.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709561January 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DC/DC converter failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708566January 3, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The transfer case on my new 2025 LR Defender 130 went out at 5,000 miles. This unit distributes power to the axles. I was told that if I continue to drive it, it could seize up, possibly leading to a loss of control of the vehicle. Land Rover is aware that they installed a bad batch of transfer cases on their new vehicles. They have the batch number(s), and have apparently issued a 'service bulletin,' but not a recall. Nor did they contact owners to let them know of this problem proactively. Given the potential danger in the failure of this unit, a recall is the only safe option.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707096December 26, 2025
ENGINE
we had a coolant leak like the one reported on recall N785, I called the Land Rover USA office and they said that they only have a "voluntary" recall for this problem and I need to pay for them to fix it. It's not faire that they refuse to fix something that is happening in the same car and model but different engine type. They know they need to recall all the Defenders. What you can do to protect us?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705756December 18, 2025
AIR BAGS, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
The Daytime Running Headlights have gone out once again. This is such a common issue with the Land Rover Defenders yet, the manufactures force the customers to pay $3000 to $5000 to replace. Police will pull you over for this issue ask they think you headlight is completely out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705311December 16, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car had electrical Warning- literally the vehicle in totality shut down and I needed a tow to dealership- after diagnosis an electrical part-DC CONVERTER PART # 433123464. The part is unavailable anywhere. I called tri-state area in my own attempts for my car to be repaired. I was advised my the dealer that EVERY DEALERSHIP IS WAITING ON 5-10 of the same part!! I was currently advised the part is being manufactured in the UK -shipping estimate date mid January 2026. If this is infact the situation -I would like someone to look into a recall- the $700 part expires with my warranty!!! In February 2026. The vehicle in dead-without the DC converter
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701653November 26, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The daytime running lights (DRL) have failed in the passenger side. After some quick research, it's apparent that this is a widespread issue with the "Signature" halo lights in the Defender headlamp assembly. Reddit discussion: [XXX] ) Here is a Youtube video showing the issue and "fix". So many people have had this same issue that this guy figured out the problem: [XXX] ) The original warranty would have covered it but my warranty just expired earlier this year and the extended warranty will not cover it. The dealership is telling me that the entire headlamp assembly will need trashed and replaced all because this small "chip" within the unit has failed. The cost to repair is close to $3,000. Seeing that the issue causes the DRL's to fail which could lead to a failed vehicle inspection, the issue should be reported more widely and a recall should be issued. Thank you for your time! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693370October 14, 2025
ENGINE
1.) Coolant turbo lines leak coolant. Causing the engine to overheat. It is recommended by the dealer to replace the two(2) o-rings and bypass hose assembly. 2.) This is a high risk this can cause risk of an engine fire in addition to major damage to the engine. 3.)The Land Rover Dealer (Annapolis, MD) has confirmed that this is a known issue. Further research online confirms from other customers with dealers that this is a known issue. 4.) The dealer performed diagnosis on the vehicle and confirmed the parts that need replacing. 5.) As the engine gets close to overheating, you notice the temperature gauge moving to red and a warning message that the engine is overheating. Initially, you will notice messages that the engine coolant level is low and as the problem progresses, you will see the message more frequently. I have personally gone through two full bottles of antifreeze in a day. The cost of repair is over $2500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692392October 9, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The halo headlight went out, and I have an extended warranty that supposedly doesn't cover it. After researching, this seems to be a national event. The headlights need to be recalled and the manufacturer needs to be held accountable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692274October 9, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owned a 2021 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the contact noticed a fuel odor while driving. The contact continued driving; however, the fuel odor had grown stronger. The contact arrived at the residence and inspected the vehicle, and became aware that the main fuel line had fractured, causing fuel to leak onto the engine. The dealer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty, and there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact traded the vehicle with another dealer, Courtesy Subaru 601 E Omaha St, Rapid City, SD 57701, and no longer owns the vehicle. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the repair was not covered under a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690159September 28, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I was driving on [XXX] In Sarasota County, Florida, at approximately 70mph I witnessed flames coming from passenger rear portion of the car, I pulled over and jumped out at the interior was filled with smoke. In less than 15 minutes the car completely burned to nothing but black molten metal. The vehicle was purchased new, had been on order for over 5 months and had approximately 1,300 miles on it, and was only approximately 45 days in my possession. The vehicle was inspected by police and fire department, it has been towed to the local Land Rover dealer in Sarasota, Florida. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682718August 24, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On or about August 7 or 8, my wife was driving our vehicle when it suddenly stalled and stopped running. Prior to this incident, we received a warning that the battery was low and that the vehicle needed to be started immediately. On August 9, I replaced the battery. That same day, we contacted the dealership where we purchased the vehicle and reported the issue. We were advised not to drive the car and instead have it towed to the dealership for inspection. In researching the problem, I found information about recall N599, which involves vehicles of this model year suddenly stalling. However, when I entered my VIN, no active recalls were shown for my vehicle. Given the similarity of the issue we experienced to the recall description, I believe my vehicle should be included. The vehicle is currently in the dealership’s shop undergoing a computer system reset, but I strongly feel any necessary repairs related to this stalling issue should be covered under the recall. My primary concern is the safety of this vehicle for my family and all passengers, and I request that this matter be reviewed and addressed under recall coverage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679770August 11, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The door actuators are failing which is a very common problem on these vehicles. This fault makes it impossible to lock the doors and arm the vehicle. This is a significant safety issue. Based on the widespread complaints it seems reasonable that Land River should rectify the problem
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678957August 7, 2025
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Land Rover Defender