On Sunday, [XXX], in the morning, I was driving my 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 (VIN [XXX], about 33,600 miles) southbound on [XXX] at about 30 mph, with my minor nephew in the car. Multiple warning lights came on and the vehicle shut down while moving, losing drive power. We nearly crashed. The vehicle has not started reliably since. An independent repair shop replaced the alternator and battery and the problem continued; they traced it to an electrical fault draining the 12-volt system and identified the open DC-DC converter recall (the federal safety agency 26V248 / 26V599, Land Rover D126/H575 and E008). My Land Rover dealer (JLR Los Angeles) confirmed in writing that the recall is open on my vehicle but said no remedy exists yet. On [XXX], Land Rover customer service (800‑637‑6837) declined to open a case or commit to any repair, tow, or interim fix. The vehicle cannot be driven safely and I have no remedy available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The worst 2022 Land Rover Defender problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical29
- Lights16
- Visibility14
- Engine7
- Driver assistance5
- Steering4
- Transmission4
- Airbags3
- Body3
- Brakes3
- Acceleration1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2022 Land Rover Defender
Recalls 6
Electrical system: propulsion system: dc/dc converter
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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 the federal safety agency recall number 26V248.
Recall number 26V599000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
- 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.
Recall number 26V389000 · Recall details
Electrical system: propulsion system: dc/dc converter
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 26V248000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 23V044000 · Recall details
Seat belts: pretensioner
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 22V523000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: turn signal
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 21V435000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2022 Land Rover Defender 466
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Interference from external WiFi sources could disrupt wireless CarPlay or Android Auto connection
- The air conditioning system is not cooling properly
- Retailers may not be following the installation instructions correctlywhen installing accessory wheel arch...
- Accessory Wheel Arch Protection
- Air Conditioning Inoperative / Intermittent Operation
- TCU Activation Failure And InControl App Inoperative After Software Update
- Intermittent Passive Entry Operation 24MY Or With New Service Smart Key Fob.
- Exhaust System Oxygen (O2) Sensors
- A low-speed ‘clonk’ type noise from the rear driveline, audible during low speed throttle inputs, often...
- Unable to select Navigation when pressing the navigation Tile on theTouchscreen.
2022 Land Rover Defender fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl Hybrid | 4WD | 17 | 22 | 19 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 17-18 | 20-21 | 18-19 |
| 5.0L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 14-15 | 19 | 16 |
What 2022 Land Rover Defender owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The front driver side daytime headlight failed. This part on this vehicle is sometimes called the halo. I am told that it is about a $3,000.00 repair. I don't think this part should fail so soon nor should it cost so much to remedy. It is available for inspection on request. The vehicle is less visible. I am taking it to the dealer for inspection on November 9, 2026, the earliest day available. There were no warnings that it had failed. I only noticed it when seeing the reflection of the vehicle.
My driver's side Daytime Running Lights has failed prematurely (~4 years since new vehicle purchase) and the Land Rover dealer claims it is normal and expected. This is after my passenger DRL has already failed and was replaced with assistance from JLR North America. This is a known issue (Land Rover Special Service Message 75479).
Nothing has happened yet but my vehicle could stop working at any time due to there not being a fix available. I have been waiting for a fix for six months.
DC/AC error came up once, parked it and turned it off, the error message has not showed up since, i have contacted the San Jose, CA, land Rover dealer, 2 times already, have given them my information and they always say i will get a call back and its been 2 months and i have yet to receive any information on getting these recalls repaired, This vehicle was not cheap and they seem to not care to fix the issue.
This is a serious concern and safety condition. In several occasions while driving at a range from 45-70mph the engine loses power. To the point where it has felt like it will shut off. The inside lighting of the dash dims while the vehicle is in loss of engine power.
Halo lighting on front headlamps stopped working
DRL Halo failure/driver side: I own a business, and am on the road driving throughout the day. I have had at least 3 incidents where other drivers have pulled out in front of me, in which I believe was due to the DLR Halo failure. I was also stopped by a Traffic Officer because he thought it was a full 'headlight' failure. I had to explain to him that the DLR Halo failure is a KNOWN issue to Land Rover and that the core headlight still works. Safety Issues: Reduced Visibility: DRLs make your vehicle easier for oncoming traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists to see during daylight hours, especially in overcast weather or glare conditions. A daytime running light (DRL) failure on a vehicle like the Land Rover Defender primarily reduces your truck's daytime visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a collision. Stats: Daytime running lights (DRLs) reduce multi-vehicle daytime traffic accidents by about 5% to 15%, depending on the specific study and crash type.Key Reduction StatisticsGeneral Multi-Vehicle Crashes: A major meta-analysis shows a 10% to 15% reduction in multi-party daytime accidents for cars using DRLs. A Monash University study found an 8.8% reduction in non-nighttime multi-vehicle crashes.Head-On and Opposite-Direction Collisions: the federal safety agency reports that DRLs reduce opposite-direction daytime fatal and non-fatal crashes by 5%.Vulnerable Road Users: the federal safety agency data indicates a 12% reduction in daytime pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in single-vehicle crashes, and a 23% reduction in daytime fatal crashes between a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle.Specific Fleet/Manufacturer Studies: General Motors and independent evaluations typically estimate a general crash reduction of over 5% in urban and mixed environments. While I am driving a 2022 Defender with a DLR Halo defect, Land rover is directly putting me at 5 to 15% greater risk of injury, SBI injury or death.
Component and System Failure: The front headlamp assembly's internal LED Daytime Running Lamp (DRL) circuit board failed prematurely. The component is not available for inspection upon request, as the failed headlamp assembly is currently still installed on the vehicle. Safety Risk: The sudden loss of the DRL severely reduces the vehicle's forward visibility (conspicuity) to oncoming traffic and pedestrians during daytime, overcast, and low-light conditions. This defect directly compromises federally mandated lighting safety standards, significantly increasing the risk of a front-end or intersection collision because other motorists cannot see the vehicle approaching. Confirmation and Inspection: The problem has been confirmed by a Land Rover dealership. The vehicle and component have been inspected by the manufacturer. The dealership technician confirmed the internal module burned out and stated the only remedy is a full headlamp replacement. Prior Symptoms and Warning Lamps: There were absolutely no warning lamps, error messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. The DRL went completely dark without warning on July 30, 2026 at approximately 41,476 miles.
The DRL a safety feature fails on the Defender L663 models 20-23 and LR will not fix. I have 40k miles on my 22. They want $3200 for a headlight but to me its a safety offering for daytime running lamps. Looks how many reporting it.
Compare the 2022 Land Rover Defender
Other model years
Questions about the 2022 Land Rover Defender
Is the 2022 Land Rover Defender reliable?
Owners have filed 79 complaints about the 2022 Land Rover Defender, 1.9 times a typical Defender model year.
What is the 2022 Land Rover Defender year score?
The 2022 Land Rover Defender scores 47 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Land Rover Defender: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2022 Land Rover Defender?
Electrical system, with 29 complaints. Next is lights (16).
How many recalls does the 2022 Land Rover Defender have?
6 recalls, covering electrical system, air bags and engine and engine cooling.
Was there a recall on the 2022 Land Rover Defender electrical?
Yes, 2 recalls: 26V599000, 26V248000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Land Rover Defender have the most electrical problems?
The Land Rover Defender model years with the most electrical complaints are 2023 (45 complaints), 2022 (29 complaints) and 2024 (16 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2022 Land Rover Defender get?
Official estimates for the 2022 Land Rover Defender range from 16 to 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl hybrid, 4WD) gets 17 city and 22 highway.
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