Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2025 Land Rover Defender, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Visibility/wiper7
- Power train3
- Electrical system2
- Steering1
- Engine1
- Chest clip, buckle, harness1
- Unknown or other1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
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 2025 Land Rover Defender failed the safety check 0.17% of the time — 50% less often than the average 2025 passenger car (0.34%). Median odometer at inspection: 57 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2025 Land Rover Defender cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 hybrid (165 kW, 221 hp) and 4.4 hybrid (467 kW, 626 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 hybrid | 165 kW 221 hp | 1,071 |
| 4.4 hybrid | 467 kW 626 hp | 34 |
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
1,120 first registered in 2025 are on Dutch roads; 27% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €107,243.
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
12,179 cars built in 2025 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 144 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
401 2025 cars are on the New Zealand register; 2% arrived as used imports, 98% 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 4 variants: combined 12.5–15.0 L/100 km (about 16–19 mpg US), CO₂ 294–353 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defender 130 P400 · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 13.3 | 11.5 | 12.5 |
| Defender 130 P300 · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 14.1 | 11.8 | 13.1 |
| Defender 130 P400 Outbound · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 12.2 | 13.4 |
| Defender 130 V8 P500 · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 17.0 | 12.5 | 15.0 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2025 Land Rover Defender.
| 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… |
| 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 … |
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 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.
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 2025 Land Rover Defender: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011721 | Engine Oil and Filter Change |
| 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 |
| 11010313 | Steering Gear Noisy - Request For Information |
| 11010312 | Steering Gear Noisy - Request For Information |
| 11010266 | Customer may report a concern with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto function after recent updates to their mobile device. |
| 11010201 | ACCESSORY RUBBER FLOORMATS INCORRECT |
| 11008625 | A customer may report that the windshield wipers stop up on the windshield when turned off. |
| 11008469 | Engine Oil and Filter Change |
| 11007423 | MHEV DCDC internal failure with warning message |
| 11007417 | Front/Rear Door Latch Silicon Contamination Causing Doors To Not Operate As Expected |
| 11006124 | Improvements to SOTA (Software Over The Air) capability. |
| 11003775 | Engines may have been supplied with an oil filter housing which has been manufactured with the incorrect material. |
| 11003766 | A concern has been identified for specific vehicles within the above vehicle range where engines may have been supplied with an oil filter housing which has been manufactured with the incorrect material. |
| 11001162 | The engine oil and filter are to be replaced. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)