Verdict
2023 Land Rover Defender: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues
What the public record actually says about the 2023 Land Rover Defender — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.
The read
More reported complaints than most SUV.
Owners filed 75 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 71% of 2023 SUVs. Electrical System leads the reports (44%). 9 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.
Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2023 SUVs, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.
Complaints filed
75
Reports to NHTSA, 2023
Safety recalls
9
NHTSA campaigns on record
NHTSA crash test
Not rated
Overall NCAP rating
Combined MPG
19
EPA estimate
Complaint volume vs. segment peers
More complaints than 71% of 2023 SUVs
The bar is this car's percentile among 2023 SUVs by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.
Known issues
Electrical System issues lead owner complaints (44% of 75 reports), followed by visibility/wiper (16%).
+ 5 more component categories with fewer reports.
Share of all 75 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11744806, ODI 11744833, ODI 11728718, ODI 11725480, ODI 11725104.
Recalls(9)
Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.
Air BagsDec 2026 · 26V389000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driver’s air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed August 7, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.
EquipmentJun 2024 · 24E102000Details +Close −
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Land Rover Defender vehicles equipped with Raised Air Intake (RAI) aftermarket accessory equipment, with part number VPLEP0543. The raised air intake may not be secured properly, which can allow the intake to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached raised air intake can fall off the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, remove and reinstall the RAI accessory, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed February 20, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N964.
Child SeatFeb 2023 · 23V137000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: A child seat with reduced strength may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the third-row seat frame and components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N768.
Engine And Engine CoolingFeb 2023 · 23V044000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine cam carrier and related components as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N763.
Seat Belts · 22V523000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: Improperly restrained occupants have an increased risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N720.
Service Brakes · 23V789000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: Detached brake calipers can reduce braking ability and cause structural wheel damage, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will reinstall the brake calipers, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 18, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N848.
Engine And Engine Cooling · 24V450000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the filter housing, oil filter, and o-rings, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N908.
Back Over Prevention · 25V016000Details +Close −
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."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the touchscreen software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N972.
Electrical System · 26V248000Details +Close −
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.) The DC-DC converter can fail due to an internal fault in the boost control microchip. 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.
Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall is currently under development. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's numbers for this recall are D126 and H575.
A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.
Investigations
0 NHTSA investigations on record
No investigations are on record as of Jul 2026. An empty record is not a clean bill of health.
Crash-test ratings
No NHTSA crash test is on record for this year. Some vehicles and model years were not tested or do not have a published NCAP result.
Fuel economy by trim
| Trim | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Hwy | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defender 90 MHEV | 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 18 | 23 | 20 |
| Defender 110 MHEV | 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 18 | 23 | 20 |
| Defender 90 | 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 18 | 21 | 19 |
| Defender 130 P400 MHEV | 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 17 | 21 | 19 |
| Defender 130 P300 MHEV | 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 17 | 21 | 19 |
| Defender 110 | 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 17 | 20 | 18 |
| Defender 90 | 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 15 | 19 | 16 |
| Defender 110 | 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 14 | 19 | 16 |
EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.
Before you buy
Useful next checks
Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.
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Compare model years
"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.
2023 Land Rover Defender: frequently asked
What does the complaint record show for the 2023 Land Rover Defender?
Owners filed 75 NHTSA complaints about the 2023 Land Rover Defender — more complaints than 71% of comparable 2023 SUVs, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.
What are the most common problems on the 2023 Land Rover Defender?
The most-reported problem areas are Electrical System (44% of complaints) and visibility/wiper (16%).
How many recalls does the 2023 Land Rover Defender have?
9 recalls have been issued that affect the 2023 Land Rover Defender, covering components such as air bags. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.
What gas mileage does the 2023 Land Rover Defender get?
The EPA rates the 2023 Land Rover Defender between 16 and 20 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.