2025 Land Rover DEFENDER
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2025 Land Rover DEFENDER has 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.3x the segment average of 60. The most common issue is visibility problems (40% of all complaints), specifically: front windshield has cracked. defender has less than 10k and has only been driven on city roads and highway. no offroad. chip left of center occurred from pebble while driving on freeway back february. took vehicle to safelite for repair within a week. two months later chip expanded into a la. There are 2 recalls issued for this model year. ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.
15
Total Complaints
2
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.3x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems(top 5 of 7)
VISIBILITY
6 complaints- • Front Windshield has cracked. Defender has less than 10K and has only been driven on city roads and highway. No offroad. Chip left of center occurred from pebble while driving on Freeway back February. Took vehicle to Safelite for repair within a week. Two months later Chip expanded into a la
- • Driving down the road and my windshield spontaneously cracked. No road debris, no rock, no trauma or accident.
- • 30 years of car ownership have never had a chipped or cracked windshield. 2025 Land Rover Defender has had 3 rock chips in a year and now a 20" crack from very minor impact from a pebble. This windshield has a design flaw and is extremely fragile.
“Front Windshield has cracked. Defender has less than 10K and has only been driven on city roads and highway. No offroad. Chip left of center occurred from pebble while driving on Freeway back February. Took vehicle to Safelite for repair within a week. Two months later Chip expanded into a la”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Recalls (2)
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.
Fix: 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.
Fuel Cost Calculator for 2025 Land Rover DEFENDER
Live EIA pricesBased on EPA fuel-economy ratings and EIA weekly retail prices (2026-07-20). Real-world cost varies with driving style, trim/engine, terrain, and traffic.
5-Year Gas Price History
EIA weekly retail data · 2021 → todaySource: US Energy Information Administration weekly retail gasoline prices.
Estimated Insurance Cost for 2025 Land Rover DEFENDER
How this estimate is calculated
Coverage assumed: 100/300/100 liability + comprehensive/collision, $500 deductibles. Data sources: NAIC 2024 + HLDI loss studies.
Maintenance & Warranty
Land Rover New-Vehicle Warranty Coverage
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 15 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐VISIBILITY: Front Windshield has cracked. Defender has less than 10K and has only been driven on city roads and highway. No offroad. Chip left of center occurred from pebble while driving on Freeway back February. Took vehicle to Safelite for repair within a week. Two months later Chip expanded into a la
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐TRANSMISSION: The transfer case on my new 2025 LR Defender 130 went out at 5,000 miles. This unit distributes power to the axles. I was told that if I continue to drive it, it could seize up, possibly leading to a loss of control of the vehicle. Land Rover is aware that they installed a bad batch of transfer case
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: The DC converter went bad and within 30 seconds while driving on the highway I got a battery warning and then the car went into neutral and stopped and went into park and the car turned off in the middle of the road and couldn’t be moved at all. Luckily some cops came and protected the car from behi
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐FUEL SYSTEM: I was driving on [XXX] In Sarasota County, Florida, at approximately 70mph I witnessed flames coming from passenger rear portion of the car, I pulled over and jumped out at the interior was filled with smoke. In less than 15 minutes the car completely burned to nothing but black molten metal. The
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐RECALLS: Verify all 2 recalls have been completed — free at any Land Rover dealer
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Land Rover DEFENDER — Year Comparison
How does 2025 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 15
- Recalls
- 2
- Fire reports
- 1
- Crash reports
- 0
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 60
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2025 Land Rover DEFENDER