Land Rover Defender years to avoid
More than twice the Defender's typical complaint count for a model year.
Best Land Rover Defender years
Not enough model years on the road yet to compare.
Land Rover Defender complaints by model year
Owner complaints by model year. Newer years have had less time on the road, so expect them to grow.
Most common Land Rover Defender problems
All model years combined.
- Electrical112
- Lights68
- Visibility59
- Engine47
- Steering26
- Transmission21
- Driver assistance21
- Body12
- Brakes9
- Airbags7
- Fuel system6
- Tires4
Most reported problems on the Land Rover Defender
Land Rover Defender problems year by year
Tap a year to see its problems, recalls and what owners say.
| Year | Score | Complaints | Top problem | Typical mileage | Recalls | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | - | 6 | Electrical | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2025 | - | 13 | Visibility | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | - | 27 | Electrical | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | - | 93 | Electrical | 43,000 | 9 | 0 | Avoid |
| 2022 | 47 | 79 | Electrical | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2021 | 69 | 42 | Lights | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | 55 | 58 | Lights | 2,041 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 95 | 1 | Brakes | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2002 | 95 | 3 | Engine | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2001 | 95 | 1 | Visibility | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | - | 1 | Tires | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1995 | - | 1 | Engine | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1993 | - | 2 | Engine | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1990 | - | 1 | Visibility | 0 | 0 |
Recalls 20
Land Rover Defender in the news
Questions about the Land Rover Defender
What years of the Land Rover Defender should you avoid?
2023. It has more than twice the Land Rover Defender's typical number of owner complaints for a model year; 2023 alone has 93, mostly about electrical and engine.
What is the best year for a used Land Rover Defender?
There are not enough model years on the road yet to compare.
What is the most common problem with the Land Rover Defender?
Electrical, with 112 complaints across all years, followed by lights (68) and visibility (59).
How many recalls does the Land Rover Defender have?
20 recalls between 1990 and 2026. The 2023 model year has the most, with 9.
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