Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1993 Land Rover Defender, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine and engine cooling2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1993 Land Rover Defender failed the safety check 0.74% of the time — 38% less often than the average 1993 passenger car (1.20%). Median odometer at inspection: 69,981 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
33 cars built in 1993 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 54 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,927 of these cars first registered in 1993 took their annual MOT test. 64% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1993 the figure was 67%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1993 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 22.9% | 17.2% |
| Suspension | 11.8% | 10.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.4% | 9.7% |
| Brakes | 10.2% | 11.2% |
| Steering | 9.8% | 3.8% |
| Visibility | 7.6% | 6.9% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In New Zealand
9 1993 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1993 Land Rover Defender.
| 1996126 23 Aug 1996 | Electrical THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITHOUT THE PROPER WARNING LABEL AFFIXED TO THE BATTERY. THIS LABEL CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE INHERENT DANGERS REL… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THE "HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE LABEL" WARNING WAS NOT INSTALLED ON THE BATTERIES IN THESE VEHICLES.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Land Rover told its dealers about the 1993 Land Rover Defender: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 605043 | PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN DIAGNOSING IGNITION LEAD FAULTS AND IGNITION RELATED ISSUES. *TT |
| 601617 | PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN DIAGNOSING IGNITION LEAD FAULTS AND SUMMARIZES. *YC |
| 50659 | PRIDE - 14CUX COIL CONNECTIONS. *TW |
| 50559 | NEW TORQUE SETTING - HUB NUT. *TW |
| 10125267 | Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)