2023 Land Rover Defender Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Defender years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 9 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 82 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Land Rover Defender. That is the most of any Defender model year in the database (12 years). The most reported problem area is electrical system (39 complaints, 48%), typically at around 50,500 miles. There are 9 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 82owner complaints
- 9safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2023 Land Rover Defender problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 39 | 48% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 14 | 17% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 12 | 15% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 6 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 2% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2023 Land Rover Defender recalls (9)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:propulsion system:dc/dc converter
Problem: 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.
Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 13, 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 E008. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V248.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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 driverâs 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.
Fix: Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driverâs 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.
Electrical system:propulsion system:dc/dc converter
Problem: 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.
Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the central software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 17, 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 numbers for this recall are D126 and H575.
Equipment:electrical:infotainment:video (touch)screen/monitor/unit; back over prevention:software
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:filter/screen
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:critical fasteners
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Child seat:vehicle tether anchor; seats:mid/rear assembly
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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 cooling:engine:oil/lubrication
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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:pretensioner
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 X Dynamic is less than four years old and recently passed its 50,000-mile new-vehicle warranty limit. A LED daytime running light (DRL) should not fail this early. The integrated front daytime running light "halo" LED module inside the sealed premium headlamp…
The contact owns a 2023 Land Rover Defender. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
Airbag warning light is ON. Dealer states that this is caused by the wire harness under the seat getting caught when seat moves and breaks the wire continuity. Dealer states that several of these incidents have been observed in many vehicles as the harness design is prone to being trapped in the…
My 2023 Land Rover Defender is subject to manufacturer recall D126 / NHTSA Recall 26V-248 concerning potential failure of the DC/DC converter due to an internal fault in the boost control microchip. The recall remains incomplete and Jaguar Land Rover has advised that a remedy is not yet available…
Three days before leaving for a trip from [XXX] to [XXX] my Land Rover Defender gave me a Low Battery warning. There was no time to take it to the dealership so I bought a new battery and put it in myself, then drove the 700 miles to [XXX]. My family and I were traveling in a remote area 6 miles…
Other Land Rover Defender years
← 2022 Defender · 2024 Defender →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Defender | 6 | 3 |
| 2025 Defender | 13 | 1 |
| 2024 Defender | 27 | 7 |
| 2023 | 82 | 9 |
| 2022 Defender | 75 | 6 |
| 2021 Defender | 42 | 9 |
| 2020 Defender | 55 | 7 |
| 2003 Defender | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 Defender | 3 | 0 |
| 2001 Defender | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 Defender | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 Defender | 1 | 2 |
See all Land Rover Defender problems by year, every Land Rover model, or the Land Rover VIN decoder.
Similar Land Rover models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2023 Land Rover Defender?
Owners most often report electrical system, visibility/wiper, engine problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 39 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2023 Land Rover Defender?
Yes, 9 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2023 Land Rover Defender a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Defender model years, the 2023 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.