Most common 2024 Land Rover Defender problems
Share of the 27 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Land Rover Defender complaints by model year
2024 Land Rover Defender recalls (7)
Seat belts › Rear/other › Webbing › Stitching
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2024 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The second-row seat belt may be improperly stitched.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the second-row seat belt serial number, and replace the seat belt, as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 20, 2026.
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.
Equipment › Electrical › Infotainment › Video (touch)screen/monitor/unit
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023 Discovery Sport, 2023-2024 Defender, and 2023 Range Rover Evoque vehicles. The touchscreen in the center console may go blank at vehicle startup, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended.
Remedy: Dealers will update the touchscreen software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 1-800-637-6837.
Forward collision avoidance › Sensing system › Camera
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2024 Defender, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar, and Range Rover Sport vehicles. The Near Field Sensing Module (NFSM) may overheat and cause the 3D surround camera images, including the rearview camera image, not to display.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the NFSM, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 24, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N927.
Show 1 more recall
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Oil/lubrication › Filter/screen
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Defender, 2024 Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The oil filter housing can crack and leak oil into the engine compartment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the filter housing, oil filter, and o-rings, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2024 Land Rover Defender:
Rear Seat Belt Stitching Failure and Detachment
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1 complaint stating that a rear row seat belt became detached in a model year (MY) 2024 Land Rover Defender.Photos of the seat belt received with the complaint show that the stitching of the webbing of the seat belt appears to have not been properly formed. An improperly stitched seat belt can become detached during a collision.
What 2024 Land Rover Defender owners say
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2024 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(N), with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle lost motive power. The contact swerved to the shoulder, and an object struck the windshield, causing the windshield to crack. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
Yes, my car caught fire. It's at an impound currently. My clothes caught fire when I tried putting it out. The car could have been parked in my garage or been in NYC, with a full tank of gas, that would have caused serious damage. My insurance company is sending an investigator to look into it today. No, warning lamps, messages or symptoms.
Steering
Yes, my car caught fire. It's at an impound currently. My clothes caught fire when I tried putting it out. The car could have been parked in my garage or been in NYC, with a full tank of gas, that would have caused serious damage. My insurance company is sending an investigator to look into it today. No, warning lamps, messages or symptoms.
Car has had 2 separate, distinct failures of the DC/DC converter which result in electrical faults rendering all systems unusable (gearbox, steering, etc.) and making the care immobile. I have had it replaced once in September 2025 following a failure, and then the replacement failed in January 2026. This is incredibly dangerous while driving. Dealer and Land Rover are aware of widespread failures, parts are backordered with no timeline. Warning light starts with 'Electric Fault Detected' and continues to function for an indeterminate amount of time before failing completely.
Engine & cooling
While driving my 2024 Land Rover Defender 130 on Route 114 in Massachusetts at approximately 8:30-9:00 PM in dark and rainy conditions, the vehicle suddenly and completely shut off while in motion. The vehicle lost all power: Engine shut off No gears functioned Vehicle would not restart Lights and hazard lights were not functioning The vehicle was stranded in the middle of an active roadway with no warning and no visibility. Because of this, I had to exit the vehicle into traffic, stop oncoming vehicles, and remove my child from the car. We crossed a live lane of traffic to get to safety while leaving the vehicle in the roadway. I called 911. Police responded and controlled traffic at the scene. In the presence of the responding officer, I attempted to restart the vehicle multiple times. …
Vehicle: 2024 Land Rover Defender, VIN [redacted] Related recall: NHTSA campaign 26V248 (JLR internal D126 / H575) This complaint concerns the unavailability of a remedy for a defect that can cause complete loss of drive power while the vehicle is in motion. Timeline: - April 17, 2026: Jaguar Land Rover North America filed Part 573 report for campaign 26V248, covering 170,169 mild-hybrid vehicles including 53,644 2020-2024 Defenders. JLR's filing describes the defect as an internal fault in the boost control microchip of the DC-DC converter, and states that failure results in loss of 12-volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting. - June 20, 2026: I received an interim owner letter. The letter confirms the defect and the safety risk. It states no remedy is available and that additional correspondence will follow at an unspecified date. …
2024 Land Rover Defender engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo supercharged hybrid | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 18 / 22 / 20 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 18 / 20 / 19 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl supercharged | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2024 Land Rover Defender a good car?
Based on 27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2024 Defender rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Defender at the same age. 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 2024 Land Rover Defender?
The electrical system — 16 complaints, 59% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the steering (5) and engine & cooling (5).
How many recalls does the 2024 Land Rover Defender have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2024 Land Rover Defender, the most recent from September 24, 2026 (stitching). 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 2024 Land Rover Defender problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 32,000 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.