2023 Land Rover Defender engine problems
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2023 Land Rover Defender — 15% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The DC/DC converter failed and caused the vehicle to immediately lose all power at a main intersection. My wife was driving the vehicle when this happened with out two children in the vehicle as well (ages [XXX] and [XXX]. Luckily, she was able to somewhat get out of intersection of a very busy…”
filed Jun 17, 2026
“The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete electrical failure while driving, related to the DC converter. Warning lights did appear prior to the failure; however, I was driving down a mountainous road and do not recall the exact messages. Shortly after, the vehicle shut down and lost power…”
filed Mar 19, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Oil filter housing can crack and leak oil into the engine compartmentCampaign 24V450000 · Jun 17, 2024
- Engine cam carrier oil channel may be blocked, which can lead to an oil leakCampaign 23V044000 · Feb 2, 2023
Related service bulletins
Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
D061 Defender 17JUL26 · Other · issued Jul 17, 2026Coolant Bypass Hose Leak
D011 Defender 17JUL26 · Other · issued Jul 17, 2026Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
D061 Defender 16JUN26 · Other · issued Jun 16, 2026Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
D061 Defender 15MAY26 · Other · issued May 15, 2026
Engine problems in other Defender years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Defender | 3 | 14% |
| 2022 Defender | 5 | 7% |
| 2021 Defender | 1 | 3% |
| 2020 Defender | 7 | 14% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2023 Land Rover Defender
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.