Land Rover Defender Window & Wiper Problems

Owners have filed 56 complaints about windows, wipers & sunroof problems with the Land Rover Defender — 18% of all Defender complaints. The worst model years are 2022 (14), 2023 (14) and 2021 (13). Problems typically start around 6,000 miles. No window & wiper recall has been issued for the Defender.

56complaints
2022worst year
6ktypical miles
0related recalls
1crashes
0fires

Window & Wiper complaints by model year

19952020202120222023202420252026713141417
Window & Wiper complaints per model year, Land Rover Defender.
YearComplaintsShare of year's complaintsTypical mileage
2025754%—
202414%—
20231416%—
20221419%8,000 miles
20211331%2,000 miles
2020713%7,000 miles

Which parts fail

  • Windshield
    2

Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    4100%
  • 25k–50k
    00%
  • 50k–75k
    00%
  • 75k–100k
    00%
  • 100k–150k
    00%
  • 150k+
    00%

What owners report

I am now on my 4th windshield on my 2025 Land Rover Defender 110. I have had 5 chips/cracks on these windshields. Only 1 crack was from a rock that you might expect glass breakage, the others were all caused by small pebble sized road gravel that was more like insect splatter. Safelite was repairing 1 very small chip and the windshield cracked during this common repair. Clearly the provided glass is substandard and should be upgraded for all Land Rover Defenders. I now never drive this car without the thought of another windshield break that's about to occur.

2025 Defender · Nov 2025

I am now on my 4th windshield on my 2025 Land Rover Defender 110. I have had 5 chips/cracks on these windshields. Only 1 crack was from a rock that you might expect glass breakage, the others were all caused by small pebble sized road gravel that was more like insect splatter. Safelite was repairing 1 very small chip and the windshield cracked during this common repair. Clearly the provided glass is substandard and should be upgraded for all Land Rover Defenders. I now never drive this car without the thought of another windshield break that's about to occur.

2025 Defender · Dec 2025

Vehicle windshield spontaneously cracked with large crack extending across most of passenger side. Vehicle has 10K miles. No offroad driving. No rock or foreign object struck vehicle. Driven on smooth roads. Weather was not issue. This is clearly a SAFETY issue. Crack will likely extend and I will need to replace windshield in vehicle less than 1 year old. I will take a picture of it. It needs to be replaced immediately..I've arranged service but am worried that vehicle-specific windshield is inherently flawed, regardless of who installs it. This was common knowledge (frequent cracks) in this model through 2022 but I don't know what has been done to address the problem. thank you

2023 Defender · Apr 2024

I have had to replace my windshield 3 times in a matter of a few months. In the case of my last two windshields, I was able to drive for only 2 days before it cracked. In all cases they started as small rock chips, always within a few inches of the exterior edge. I have had rock chips in the past with other vehicles but typically they would rarely crack. For some reason this vehicle can't take even the smallest of rock chips without cracking. Not sure if this is due to the shape of the windshield, the way it is installed or just bad glass. I wouldn't have made this complaint had I not noticed that there are several other Owners of this vehicle making similar complaints.

2023 Defender · Apr 2023

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.

2022 Defender · Windshield · 8,000 miles · May 2023

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 Defender · May 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that the windshield cracked without impact, causing electrical issues. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and told the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 1,500.

2021 Defender · Windshield · 2,000 miles · Aug 2021

Shortly after buying the car a small people hit the windshield while driving on the highway and broke the windshield right in the eyesight of the driver side. It was a little larger than a quarter in size and took 3 months for replacement due to back order. 2 weeks after the replacement the windshield spontaneously cracked while driving from the middle base of the windshield up and towards the passenger side about 20 inches long. Nothing hit the car, it just cracked. No heater or defrost was on. It took 6 months for replacement due to Land Rover ordering the wrong windshield and back orders. During this time the windshield got 3 more chips from pebbles/small rocks while driving. 2 weeks after this replacement a small rock hit the windshield on the driver side and chipped it about the size of a nickel. I am getting this filled tomorrow. …

2021 Defender · Apr 2021

Frequently asked questions

Which Land Rover Defender years have window & wiper problems?

By NHTSA complaints, the 2022 (14), 2023 (14), 2021 (13), 2020 (7) and 2025 (7) model years. Window & Wiper complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 2022.

Is there a recall for Land Rover Defender window & wiper problems?

No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for any Land Rover Defender model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.

At what mileage do Land Rover Defender window & wiper problems start?

Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 6,000 miles; 100% happened before 50,000 miles.

What part fails most often?

Owners most often name the windshield (2 mentions).

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.