2024 Land Rover Defender problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2024 Land Rover Defender, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 13 | 59% |
| Steering | 5 | 23% |
| Back Over Prevention | 4 | 18% |
| Engine | 3 | 14% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 14% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 9% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 9% |
| Power Train | 2 | 9% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Power Train · filed Jul 31, 2026
“The recent DCDC converter recall has left me feeling unsafe driving my Defender on anything except the slowest local roads. It's an extremely frustrating inconvenience, especially during this summer season with plans for road trips and travels being put on hold or cancelled due to not having a safe vehicle. Also, the…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 28, 2026
“The manufacturer became aware of this issue approximately six months ago. At this time, no repair is available. I am driving to a remote location without consistent phone service and the manufacturer and dealer will not offer a loaner vehicle. I believe that Land Rover should offer a trade in for a new vehicle without…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 17, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Rear Seat Belt Stitching Failure and Detachment
Preliminary Evaluation PE25019 · opened Dec 11, 2025 · open
Technical service bulletins
228 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2024 Land Rover Defender. The 10 most recent:
Intermittent Passive Entry Operation 24MY Or With New Service Smart Key Fob.
SSM76477 - 21JUL26 · Other · issued Jul 22, 2026
Seatbelt Stitching Concern
D130 Defender 17JUL26 · Other · issued Jul 17, 2026
Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
D061 Defender 17JUL26 · Other · issued Jul 17, 2026
Wireless Device Charger Inoperative Post Software Update
SSM76463 - 06JUL26 · Other · issued Jul 7, 2026
A low-speed ‘clonk’ type noise from the rear driveline, audible during low speed throttle inputs, often coupled with up/down gear changes. The noise is audible during normal road driving conditions.
SSM76324 - 06JUL26 · Other · issued Jul 6, 2026
Unable to select Navigation when pressing the navigation Tile on theTouchscreen.
SSM76468 - 03JUL26 · Other · issued Jul 4, 2026
A small number of second row seatbelts, which will be returned for inspection as part of a quality investigation.
D130 Defender 16JUN26 · Other · issued Jun 16, 2026
Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
D061 Defender 16JUN26 · Other · issued Jun 16, 2026
Seat belt stitching concern owner notified program.
TUCC_JUN2026_06 · Other · issued Jun 15, 2026
Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
D061 Defender 15MAY26 · Other · issued May 15, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2024 Land Rover Defender has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2024 Land Rover Defender?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.