2024 Land Rover DEFENDER

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Above Average

Quick Summary

The 2024 Land Rover DEFENDER has 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.5x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (30% of all complaints), specifically: we were driving at highway speeds on paved, dry road. the vehicle threw a electrical fault error. as i drove to a safe location to pull over, the vehicle switched into neutral, every warning light on the dash lit up and my power steering failed. we barely coasted to a safe spot on the shoulder of th. ⚠️ 3 fire reports filed.

3 fire reports

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.5x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

11 complaints

30%

• We were driving at highway speeds on paved, dry road. The vehicle threw a electrical fault error. As I drove to a safe location to pull over, the vehicle switched into Neutral, every warning light on the dash lit up and my power steering failed. We barely coasted to a safe spot on the shoulder of th
• Near dusk, the driver display (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge , etc.) automatically dimes to night mode and becomes unreadable. Turning the rheostat controlling display brightness does nothing. Very dangerous. Display should only go to night mode when conditions are actually dark.
• Turned the car on and the display screen was black and would not work. This is after we did the software update several months ago.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“We were driving at highway speeds on paved, dry road. The vehicle threw a electrical fault error. As I drove to a safe location to pull over, the vehicle switched into Neutral, every warning light on the dash lit up and my power steering failed. We barely coasted to a safe spot on the shoulder of th”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

7 complaints

19%

• The Land Rover Defender has a center touchscreen that displays the cameras (rear back up camera, forward facing camera, Birds Eye camera). There have been two instances now when, upon turning on the vehicle, the center touchscreen remained blank (did not power on). Turning the vehicle on/off did not
• The Land Rover Defender has a center touchscreen that displays the cameras (rear back up camera, forward facing camera, Birds Eye camera). There have been two instances now when, upon turning on the vehicle, the center touchscreen remained blank (did not power on). Turning the vehicle on/off did not
• The Land Rover Defender has a center touchscreen that displays the cameras (rear back up camera, forward facing camera, Birds Eye camera). There have been two instances now when, upon turning on the vehicle, the center touchscreen remained blank (did not power on). Turning the vehicle on/off did not

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“The Land Rover Defender has a center touchscreen that displays the cameras (rear back up camera, forward facing camera, Birds Eye camera). There have been two instances now when, upon turning on the vehicle, the center touchscreen remained blank (did not power on). Turning the vehicle on/off did not”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

5 complaints

14%

• I was ready to leave for work and started the car. The steering wheel was locked and would not turn left or right. The car could be put in gear but, the steering wheel not move. I turned the car off several times and nothing helped. Hopefully, this will not happen while driving. Had to drive my
• This morning I got into my Defender, started it, and the power steering was clearly not working at all. The steering wheel was not locked. With very significant effort I could turn the wheel. After searching online I found that this is apparently a widespread problem with Land Rover Defenders since
• We were driving at highway speeds on paved, dry road. The vehicle threw a electrical fault error. As I drove to a safe location to pull over, the vehicle switched into Neutral, every warning light on the dash lit up and my power steering failed. We barely coasted to a safe spot on the shoulder of th

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“I was ready to leave for work and started the car. The steering wheel was locked and would not turn left or right. The car could be put in gear but, the steering wheel not move. I turned the car off several times and nothing helped. Hopefully, this will not happen while driving. Had to drive my ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

4 complaints

11%

• The main display screen will randomly not turn on upon startup of the vehicle. This prevents me from using the reverse camera, parking aids or any other functions or driving aids that are accessed through the screen. Turning off the vehicle and / or restarting the screen does not fix the issue...t
• We were driving at highway speeds on paved, dry road. The vehicle threw a electrical fault error. As I drove to a safe location to pull over, the vehicle switched into Neutral, every warning light on the dash lit up and my power steering failed. We barely coasted to a safe spot on the shoulder of th
• The contact owns a 2024 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the display screen was dark. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V016000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment); however, the part to do the

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“The main display screen will randomly not turn on upon startup of the vehicle. This prevents me from using the reverse camera, parking aids or any other functions or driving aids that are accessed through the screen. Turning off the vehicle and / or restarting the screen does not fix the issue...t”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

3 complaints

• To whom may it concern, I was driving on [XXX] , in Pennsylvania, at the speed of 65 miles per hour speed, My car engine suddenly stop ( may be i am not able to describe in proper word ) but i tried to put accelerator, car not responding total stop , at the speed of 65 miles per hours , i was dri
• While driving my 2024 Land Rover Defender 130 on Route 114 in Massachusetts at approximately 8:30–9:00 PM in dark and rainy conditions, the vehicle suddenly and completely shut off while in motion. The vehicle lost all power: • Engine shut off • No gears functioned • Vehicle wo
• The manufacturer became aware of this issue approximately six months ago. At this time, no repair is available. I am driving to a remote location without consistent phone service and the manufacturer and dealer will not offer a loaner vehicle. I believe that Land Rover should offer a trade in for a

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“To whom may it concern, I was driving on [XXX] , in Pennsylvania, at the speed of 65 miles per hour speed, My car engine suddenly stop ( may be i am not able to describe in proper word ) but i tried to put accelerator, car not responding total stop , at the speed of 65 miles per hours , i was dri”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 37 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: We were driving at highway speeds on paved, dry road. The vehicle threw a electrical fault error. As I drove to a safe location to pull over, the vehicle switched into Neutral, every warning light on the dash lit up and my power steering failed. We barely coasted to a safe spot on the shoulder of th
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: The Land Rover Defender has a center touchscreen that displays the cameras (rear back up camera, forward facing camera, Birds Eye camera). There have been two instances now when, upon turning on the vehicle, the center touchscreen remained blank (did not power on). Turning the vehicle on/off did not
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: I was ready to leave for work and started the car. The steering wheel was locked and would not turn left or right. The car could be put in gear but, the steering wheel not move. I turned the car off several times and nothing helped. Hopefully, this will not happen while driving. Had to drive my
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: The main display screen will randomly not turn on upon startup of the vehicle. This prevents me from using the reverse camera, parking aids or any other functions or driving aids that are accessed through the screen. Turning off the vehicle and / or restarting the screen does not fix the issue...t
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)