Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Land Rover Defender, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
- Visibility1
- Engine and engine cooling1
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
In the Netherlands
127 first registered in 2003 are on Dutch roads; 45% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen90
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde40
- Gordel beschadigd38
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht28
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld27
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm24
- Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af24
- Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan24
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,214 cars built in 2003 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 244 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, 4,338 of these cars first registered in 2003 took their annual MOT test. 64% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2003 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18.0% | 21.6% |
| Suspension | 11.6% | 16.4% |
| Brakes | 11.2% | 13.9% |
| Steering | 10.8% | 4.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| Visibility | 8.8% | 7.7% |
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
72 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register; 21% arrived as used imports, 69% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2003 Land Rover Defender.
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 2003 Land Rover Defender: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10206635 | Software Update. |
| 10125267 | Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)