Model year record

2026 Land Rover Defender recalls & problems

The 2026 Land Rover Defender has 3 safety recalls and 6 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is unknown or other (2 complaints).

Recalls3safety recalls

Complaints6filed by owners

Crashes · fires0 · 0reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths0 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Air bagsJun 12, 2026

Frontal

Recall 26V389000250,857 vehicles

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.

Fuel system, gasolineApr 23, 2026

Storage › Tank assembly

Recall 26V2630006 vehicles

Problem: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2026 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The fuel tank was improperly manufactured with walls that are too thin.
Risk: In the event of a crash, an improperly manufactured fuel tank may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 19, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D127.

Seat beltsMar 18, 2026

Critical fasteners

Recall 26V163000582 vehicles

Problem: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2026 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The third-row lower seat belt anchorage bracket may have an insufficient weld stud.
Risk: A seat belt assembly with an insufficient weld may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the third-row lower seat belt anchorage bracket or the weld-stud on the bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 19, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's numbers for this recall are D098 and D113.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2026 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110 SUV MHEV 4WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

2026 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 130 SUV MHEV 4WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

2026 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 SUV MHEV 4WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

Defender 110

20mpg combined

City / highway	18 / 22 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,100/year to fuel

Defender 110 MHEV Hybrid

20mpg combined

City / highway	18 / 22 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,100/year to fuel

Defender 90 MHEV Hybrid

20mpg combined

City / highway	18 / 23 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,100/year to fuel

Defender 90

19mpg combined

City / highway	18 / 21 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,350/year to fuel

Defender 130 P300 MHEV Hybrid

19mpg combined

City / highway	17 / 21 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,350/year to fuel

Defender 130 Outbound Hybrid

18mpg combined

City / highway	17 / 19 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,550/year to fuel

Defender 130 P400 MHEV Hybrid

18mpg combined

City / highway	16 / 20 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,550/year to fuel

Defender 110 MHEV Hybrid

17mpg combined

City / highway	15 / 19 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

4.4 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,850/year to fuel

Defender 110 Trophy MHEV Hybrid

17mpg combined

City / highway	17 / 18 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $4,850/year to fuel

Defender 90

16mpg combined

City / highway	15 / 19 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

5 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

Defender 110

16mpg combined

City / highway	14 / 18 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

5 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

Defender 130

16mpg combined

City / highway	14 / 19 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

5 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (S8) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Typical mileage*
Unknown or other	2	—
Electrical system	2	—
Engine	1	—
Power train	1	—
Service brakes	1	—
Air bags	1	—
Exterior lighting	1	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Electrical system
My instrument cluster will dim to a nearly unreadable level at random times during the day. This appears to be a common and documented issue with Land Rover Defenders. I have seen a multitude of forum posts going back several years about this issue. There are no settings in the system that allow me to adjust this or prevent it from happening.
Sep 23, 2026
Electrical system
Driving along when electrical warning light came on and car died. Coasted into safe parking space. Would not start. Dash controls would not respond. This is the day after we bought it. It had been on trickle charge at the dealership and drove fine the evening we bought it. It was fine driving in the morning. So the battery should have been fully charged.
Sep 19, 2026
Unknown or other
Red Error code popped up about battery. Then vehicle completely shut down. Was unable to put it in gear in order to move it to a safe place, therefore my vehicle blocked traffic. Fortunately this incident did not occur on the interstate where my vehicle could have been completely totaled or I could have been killed. I have less than 2500 miles on my vehicle, this should not have happened. It is currently in service waiting to be diagnosed.
Aug 21, 2026
Unknown or other
WE WERE DREIVING ALONG AT 40 MILES PER HOUR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A EMERGECY WARING CAME ON 2 SECONDS LATER AND THE CAR COMPLETE STOP WENT DEAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DELAERSHIP AND SET THEIR BEING WORKED ON FOR 3 WEEKS, WE NEVER GOT A INDICAITO AS TO WHAT HAPPENED, GET CAR BACK 3 DAYS LATER CHECK ENGONE LIOGHT ON AGAIN. THIS TIME WE PULLED OVER ON THE ROAD AND CALLED ROADSIDE, CAR WAS PICK UP 10 DASY AGON NO COMMUNICATIONS FROM DEALER. THIS IS A SATEFY HAZARD THAT NEED TO BE REVIWED
Jul 30, 2026
Air bags
Dealership sold me vehicle with open recall
Jul 13, 2026
Engine
The transmission has failed twice while the vehicle was in motion, causing loss of gear control and, on one occasion, loss of parking brake function. Incident 1 â March 24, 2026: While driving on the highway, the transmission failed and the vehicle entered a "safety mode." The vehicle was in dealer service for 8 days at Findlay Land Rover. Incident 2 â July 4, 2026, approximately 9:55 AM, at 6.1 miles into the trip, near South Buffalo Drive / Summerlin Parkway, Las Vegas, NV: While making a right turn off the Summerlin Parkway exit, the vehicle suddenly shifted into neutral with no prior warning. A check engine light and "Gearbox fault detected" alert appeared on the dashboard. The…
Jul 4, 2026

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.