Most common 2022 Land Rover Defender problems
Share of the 75 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Land Rover Defender complaints by model year
2022 Land Rover Defender recalls (6)
Electrical system › Propulsion system › DC/DC converter
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.
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.
Air bags › Frontal
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.
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.
Electrical system › Propulsion system › DC/DC converter
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…
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.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Oil/lubrication
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.
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.
Seat belts › Pretensioner
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.
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.
Exterior lighting › Turn signal
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.
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.
What 2022 Land Rover Defender owners say
Electrical system all 27 →
I purchased a 2022 V8 after waiting about a year to get the vehicle. It mostly has been a good car until recently. I was pulling into my garage, which has a downhill grade, and there was ice on the surface of the driveway and subsequently slid into the corner of my garage going no more than 3-5 mph. Quarter size dent on the bumper, no big deal... I thought. Tried to reverse away from the garage and the car wouldn't move. All of the warning lights appeared. I was able to finally get it to reserve but every time I would put it into drive from there, the parking brake would turn on and the brakes would lock up. I had it towed to a Land Rover dealership and apparently the entire ABS module has faulted. They ordered a new one and installed it only to find out that it still isn't working properly. Land Rover says this isn't covered by warranty as it isn't a manufactures defect. …
My vehicle had been at the Land Rover South Bay Service department from 11/3/21 to 11/10/21 because the suspension fault indicator had come on the prior week and the air suspension had temporarily failed. In addition, it occasionally does not start when I press the start button with my foot depressing the brake pedal and the key is in the car. It is a brand new vehicle with about 1,750 miles. On 11/11/21 I was driving the vehicle down a hill at approximately 40-45 MPH when the automatic emergency braking system self activated for no reason. The vehicle came to a rapid, abrupt stop and the closest vehicle in front of us was at least 20 yards ahead. There were no obstacles in the road. Luckily, there was no vehicle following me or we would have been rear-ended. …
Lights
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 headlight/daylight running lamps are known to burn out on these. Mine has burnt out and wont go back on. These are LED's where the LED is not going bad but the LED assembly is getting too hot and burning itself out. This is know issue with LandRover (they even have a special service bulletin [redacted] ) but they are not fixing the problem on vehicles but forcing customers to simply buy new headlights at their expense. Upon further review online, there are hundreds of complaints about this same issue. Land Rover is replacing if under warranty but leaving everyone else to pay approximately $5,000 for a new headlight. This is not only unsafe but irresponsible for them to not step up and make a fix of this issue.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
The contact owns a 2022 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the front windshield cracked without impact. The crack had formed underneath the camera location. Additionally, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the roof rack was moving. Additionally, the decal on the inside of the front window was vibrating while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
My windshield crack on its own when it was not even being driven. It appears to be a stress crack as it is a small V at the top center comes down the middle and across the passenger side. Only owned the car a few months and barely driven. I took to the dealer and they said they wouldn't chance covering by warranty out of fear corporate would deny the claim. Spoke with corporate and after a month they finally responded and said they wouldn't cover or have anyone further inspect as they rely on their dealers only and if I was satisfied I should go through arbitration. This appears to be a known issue now and concerning that they wouldn't want to investigate further. My windshield is heated and I wonder if there is a design flaw in the filament put inside the glass? Upsetting to deal with and shocked by lack or responsiveness from Land Rover.
2022 Land Rover Defender engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo supercharged hybrid | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 18 / 21 / 19 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl supercharged | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2022 Land Rover Defender a good car?
Based on 75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2022 Defender rates avoid: 2.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Defender at the same age. It is one of the Defender years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2022 Land Rover Defender?
The electrical system — 27 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the lights (14) and windows, wipers & sunroof (14).
How many recalls does the 2022 Land Rover Defender have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2022 Land Rover Defender, the most recent from September 17, 2026 (dc/dc converter). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Land Rover Defender?
Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2023, 2022 and 2021. See the full Land Rover Defender years comparison.
At what mileage do 2022 Land Rover Defender problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 35,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.