Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Land Rover Defender, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Exterior lighting19
- Electrical system12
- Steering8
- Engine7
- Visibility/wiper6
- Structure5
- Unknown or other4
- Service brakes4
- Power train3
- Visibility1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 2020 Defender vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 0 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2020 Land Rover Defender failed the safety check 0.34% of the time — 71% less often than the average 2020 passenger car (1.18%). Median odometer at inspection: 27,562 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2020
8,407 new Land Rover Defender cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2020; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (4,531), Germany (1,625), Italy (718).
- Average mass
- 2,414 kg
- Average CO₂
- 247 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 207 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 76% · Petrol 24%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2020 Land Rover Defender cars on Dutch roads are the 3.0 hybrid (294 kW, 394 hp) and 2.0 diesel (177 kW, 237 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 hybrid | 294 kW 394 hp | 159 |
| 2.0 diesel | 177 kW 237 hp | 32 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
208 first registered in 2020 are on Dutch roads; 61% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €132,391.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde55
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld35
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)12
- Band onvoldoende profiel9
- Mistlicht voor onjuist afgesteld9
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm7
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht6
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage6
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
3,940 cars built in 2020 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 163 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, 4,031 of these cars first registered in 2020 took their annual MOT test. 91% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2020 the figure was 88%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 3.5% | 4.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.9% | 3.0% |
| Visibility | 1.2% | 2.8% |
| Brakes | 1.1% | 1.8% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1.0% | 0.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.8% | 0.6% |
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
259 2020 cars are on the New Zealand register; 11% arrived as used imports, 88% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
8 Transport Canada recalls for the 2020 Land Rover Defender.
| 2026442 17 Sept 2026 | High Voltage Issue: On certain vehicles, the DC/DC converter could fail. As a result, the 12 V battery would not charge and a red "Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected" w… |
| 2026292 12 Jun 2026 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, the connector for the driver-front airbag in the steering wheel could corrode. As a result, the driver-front airbag may not inflat… |
| 2026196 17 Apr 2026 | High Voltage Issue: On certain vehicles, the DC/DC converter could fail. As a result, the 12 V battery would not charge and a red "Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected" w… |
| 2024739 5 Dec 2024 | Accessories Issue: This recall is for raised air intakes installed on new vehicles or sold as a dealer accessory. On certain vehicles, the raised air intake may not … |
| 2024599 10 Oct 2024 | Engine Issue: This recall is for certain replacement engines. The oil filter housing may not have been manufactured properly. Over time, the housing could crack and … |
| 2021533 26 Aug 2021 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger seat belt assemblies may contain defective automatic locking retractors (ALR). As a result, the seat belts may not p… |
| 2021355 8 Jun 2021 | Lights And Instruments Issue: On certain Defender X models, the brake lights, turn signals and/or tail lights may suddenly turn off if a bright light shines directly on them. Sa… |
| 2021353 3 Jun 2021 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles equipped with a 6-cylinder engine, a software problem in the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) could cause the engine to turn off sud… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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.
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.
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The owner's manual incorrectly states that the third-row seating is equipped with LATCH child seat restraints with top tethers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Defender X vehicles equipped with smoked rear light assemblies. A voltage spike, triggered by a bright light shining on the rear of the vehicle, can cause the turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights to fail.
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Land Rover Defender vehicles equipped with 6-cylinder engines. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) may unexpectedly switch off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in an engine stall with no warning.
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 2020 Land Rover Defender: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011721 | Engine Oil and Filter Change |
| 11011496 | Near Field Sensing Module (NFSM) Wired Updates |
| 11011495 | Customer could be left with a vehicle that can not be unlocked or the engine started as a result of a depleted battery State of Charge. |
| 11011050 | Diagnostic Trouble Code Stored In The Powertrain Control Module |
| 11011049 | Diagnostic Trouble Code Stored In The Powertrain Control Module |
| 11011048 | Roof Opening Panel Not Operating as Expected |
| 11011035 | Front / Rear Door Latch - Silicon Contamination Causing Doors To Not Operate As Expected |
| 11011026 | MIL lamp on the instrument cluster. FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE INOPERATIVE |
| 11010319 | NEAR FIELD SENSING MODULE (NFSM) WIRED UPDATES |
| 11010316 | Door Zone Module - Quiescent Drain |
| 11010313 | Steering Gear Noisy - Request For Information |
| 11010312 | Steering Gear Noisy - Request For Information |
| 11010268 | Fuel Pump Driver Module Inoperative |
| 11010266 | Customer may report a concern with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto function after recent updates to their mobile device. |
| 11010198 | MIL lamp on the instrument cluster |
| 11010197 | Oil filter housings installed on Ingenium I6 3.0L Diesel and Ingenium I6 3.0L Petrol engine variants, manufactured during a specific period, may crack causing a possible high pressure oil leak. |
| 11008692 | Clicking Ticking Noise from Front Axle While Turning Left or Right and Full Lock at Low Speeds |
| 11008691 | Fuel Pump Driver Module Inoperative |
| 11008643 | Near Field Sensing Module (NFSM) Wired Updates |
| 11008641 | Door Zone Module - Quiescent Drain |
| 11008625 | A customer may report that the windshield wipers stop up on the windshield when turned off. |
| 11008614 | 'Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected' warning message on the instrument panel. |
| 11008611 | A concern has been identified where certain vehicles are failing to complete Software Over The Air (SOTA) updates, specifically Vehicle Domain Controller (VDC) PIVI and Gateway Module A (GWM). These vehicles have now been stopped from further SOTA attempts and require a wired intervention. A software update to the TCU and GWM is required |
| 11008457 | Software Updates |
| 11008456 | Software Updates |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)