Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2023 Land Rover Defender, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system41
- Visibility/wiper14
- Engine13
- Exterior lighting9
- Steering7
- Power train7
- Lane departure6
- Unknown or other4
- Fuel/propulsion system2
- Forward collision avoidance2
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 2023 Land Rover Defender failed the safety check 0.29% of the time — 57% less often than the average 2023 passenger car (0.69%). Median odometer at inspection: 10,928 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Real-world fuel consumption
6,956 Land Rover Defender cars first registered in Europe in 2023 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Diesel hybrid versions use 10.1 l/100 km on the road against 8.8 in the WLTP test (+15%).
| Fuel | Vehicles | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 655 | 15.9 | 14.5 | +10% |
| Petrol hybrid | 383 | 13.8 | 11.6 | +19% |
| Diesel hybrid | 3,526 | 10.1 | 8.8 | +15% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 1,195 | 10.1 | 2.7 | +270% |
| Diesel hybrid van | 1,197 | 10.0 | 8.7 | +14% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
Engines
The most common engines in 2023 Land Rover Defender cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 hybrid (221 kW, 296 hp), 3.0 hybrid (294 kW, 394 hp) and 5.0 petrol (386 kW, 518 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 hybrid | 221 kW 296 hp | 739 |
| 3.0 hybrid | 294 kW 394 hp | 31 |
| 5.0 petrol | 386 kW 518 hp | 28 |
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
823 first registered in 2023 are on Dutch roads; 42% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €110,057.
Most common APK defects
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld4
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht2
- Mistlicht voor onjuist afgesteld2
- Wiellager te veel speling2
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1
- Band onvoldoende profiel1
- Mistachterlicht werkt niet (goed)1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
11,556 cars built in 2023 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 184 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
In New Zealand
480 2023 cars are on the New Zealand register; 16% arrived as used imports, 84% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 12.6 L/100 km (about 19 mpg US), CO₂ 298 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defender 130 P300 · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 14.0 | 11.0 | 12.6 |
| Defender 130 P400 · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 14.0 | 11.0 | 12.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
9 Transport Canada recalls for the 2023 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… |
| 2025015 16 Jan 2025 | Visual System Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the touch screen to remain blank when the vehicle is started. As a result, the rearview camera imag… |
| 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 … |
| 2023109 2 Mar 2023 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain Defender 130 models, the latch that locks the backrest for the third-row seat may not have been manufactured correctly. As a result, the sea… |
| 2023039 2 Feb 2023 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, an oil channel in the engine camshaft carrier wasn't drilled correctly. As a result, a buildup of oil pressure could cause an oil … |
| 2022392 21 Jul 2022 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain vehicles, the driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners could be damaged. As a result, the seat belt pretensioners may not work pro… |
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 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."
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 2023 Land Rover Defender: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011722 | Gasoline Catalytic Converter Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) |
| 11011721 | Engine Oil and Filter Change |
| 11011506 | Belt Integrated Starter Generator (BISG) Charging Inoperative on First Startup |
| 11011496 | Near Field Sensing Module (NFSM) Wired Updates |
| 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 |
| 11011032 | Noisy Rear Drive Shaft Assembly |
| 11011031 | Noisy Rear Drive Shaft Assembly |
| 11011026 | MIL lamp on the instrument cluster. FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE INOPERATIVE |
| 11010322 | Belt Integrated Starter Generator (BISG) Charging Inoperative on First Startup |
| 11010319 | NEAR FIELD SENSING MODULE (NFSM) WIRED UPDATES |
| 11010315 | Oil leak from rear of the vehicle |
| 11010314 | Oil leak from rear of the vehicle |
| 11010313 | Steering Gear Noisy - Request For Information |
| 11010312 | Steering Gear Noisy - Request For Information |
| 11010276 | IDMA screen blank on vehicle start |
| 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. |
| 11010195 | IDMA 10 SCREEN BLANK ON START UP - NO AUDIO / IPC FUNCT ION LOSS |
| 11010181 | Gasoline Catalytic Converter Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) |
| 11008692 | Clicking Ticking Noise from Front Axle While Turning Left or Right and Full Lock at Low Speeds |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)