Land Rover · NHTSA safety record

2020 Land Rover Defender

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Owners of the 2020 Land Rover Defender have filed 52 safety complaints with NHTSA between August 2020 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the exterior lighting, named in 18 of them (35%). The typical failure was reported at 1,971 miles, the median across the 12 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 6 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (6)

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

26V389000 · June 12, 2026

The defect: 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.
The risk: An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driver’s air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 3, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC · up to 250,857 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER

26V248000 · April 17, 2026

The defect: 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.
The risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC · up to 170,169 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

23V044000 · February 2, 2023

The defect: 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.
The risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The 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.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC · up to 6,724 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

21V584000 · July 29, 2021

The defect: 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."
The risk: Incorrect child restraint information may result in a child seat being improperly secured, which can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy: Land Rover will mail owners the correct information to insert into the owner's manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 23, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N601.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC · up to 7,027 vehicles across all model years covered

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

21V435000 · June 8, 2021

The defect: 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.
The risk: Turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights that fail to illuminate can reduce visibility to other drivers and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the rear light assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 27, 2021. Owners can contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N598.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC · up to 2,622 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

21V424000 · June 3, 2021

The defect: 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.
The risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: The Connected Diagnostic Services (CDS) and the Over-the-air (OTA) diagnostics functionality will be disabled, either by a dealer or through an OTA update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 28, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N599.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC · up to 163 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 52.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 18 35%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10 19%

STEERING 8 15%

ENGINE 7 13%

VISIBILITY/WIPER 6 12%

STRUCTURE 5 10%

SERVICE BRAKES 4 8%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 8%

POWER TRAIN 3 6%

BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 2%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 2%

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 12.

2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

VISIBILITY Filed August 17, 2021

1 injured · crash · towed · 7,434 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two mailboxes but the vehicle kept driving down a curved road onto the left lane. The brakes had failed to engage. The contact did not receive medical attention on the scene but later went to the hospital for injuries sustained. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard then towed to a body shop where it remained. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred after receiving the vehicle back from the dealer. The vehicle was originally taken to the dealer for the emergency brakes, lane departure,

NHTSA complaint 11429431, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Filed October 10, 2025

fire

While using the heated steering wheel function on my 2020 Land Rover Defender, the steering wheel began to overheat significantly after being turned on for a short time. The surface temperature became so hot that it burned and discolored the leather, releasing a strong burnt smell. This overheating poses a serious fire hazard and could easily burn the driver’s hands during operation. This issue compromises driver safety because the steering wheel is an essential control part of the vehicle. If the driver’s hand is burned or the leather catches fire, it could result in loss of control of the vehicle. There were no warning messages or lights before or during the incident. The problem has

NHTSA complaint 11692533, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING Filed August 11, 2026

I own a 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 HSE, and both of the vehicle’s daytime running lights (DRLs) have failed. The first DRL failed at approximately 63,000 miles, and the second DRL failed at approximately 68,000 miles. This appears to be a known and recurring issue with the DRL/signature lighting system on 2020 Land Rover Defenders, yet these failures commonly occur outside of the vehicle’s original warranty period, leaving owners responsible for extremely expensive repairs or replacement of an entire headlight assembly for what appears to be a failure of a small electronic component. This is a safety concern, not simply an aesthetic or convenience issue. When one of the signature DRLs

NHTSA complaint 11756348, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL Filed August 9, 2026

Driving and the steering assistance warning goes off cuts off my cruise control and my lane keep assistance causing my car deceleration on highway promptly while going 70 mph.

NHTSA complaint 11755796. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Filed August 6, 2026

40,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was driving roughly. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and the vehicle felt as if the brake pedal was being depressed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, and the contact was informed that the coolant hose attached to the radiator and the coolant pipes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred approximately one month later. The front driver’s side headlight had failed and was replaced by the local dealer. The contact stated that one month later, the front

NHTSA complaint 11755302, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Filed July 23, 2026

My 2020 Land Rover Defender 48V Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) experienced a check engine light and hybrid electrical failure. Diagnostics by an authorized Jaguar Land Rover dealer confirmed code P0A1F-96 (Battery Energy Control Module / BECM internal component failure). This failure relates directly to an active, global safety recall issued by JLR (NHTSA Campaign 26V248 / JLR Recall D126) regarding DC-DC converter failures in MHEV vehicles. According to JLR recall documentation, a microchip failure in the DC-DC converter causes a total loss of 12V system charging, leading to electrical warnings and a sudden loss of motive power/propulsion while driving. CHRONIC CHARGING SYSTEM

NHTSA complaint 11752326, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING Filed June 23, 2026

Daytime running lights on my car gave out. This has been an issue with 2020+ Defenders as the LED module burns out overtime due to a lack of sufficient cooling. Land Rover quoted over 5000 dollars for headlight replacements just for a simple LED bulb. This needs to be addressed.

NHTSA complaint 11746030. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Filed June 23, 2026

I own a 2020 Land Rover Defender and have experienced a failure of the LED halo ring/daytime running light within the headlight assembly. The LED ring stopped functioning even though the headlight assembly has not been damaged, modified, or involved in any accident. This failure affects the vehicle's visibility and appearance and may create a safety concern because the daytime running light is no longer operating as intended. I contacted the dealership regarding the issue, but I was informed that the repair is not covered under warranty, despite similar LED halo and DRL failures being reported by other Defender owners. I am requesting that this issue be investigated, as it appears to be a

NHTSA complaint 11746088, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Land Rover Defender

Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Deaths
2025	12	1	—
2024	24	5	—
2023	78	8	—
2022	71	5	—
2021	38	8	—

Other 2020 Land Rover models

Range Rover Evoque 49 Range Rover Sport 40 Range Rover 22 Discovery 18 Range Rover Velar 13 Discovery Sport 12

Every Land Rover on this site — 72 vehicles, 152 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

Complaints: NHTSA's ODI complaint file , published August 20, 2026. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall campaign API , most recent campaign filed August 12, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI investigation file , published 2026-08-19.

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst