no report yet
Propulsion system: dc/dc converter
NewRisk. A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
2020 Land Rover DefenderProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 60 owner complaints about the 2020 Land Rover Defender, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-424 the manufacturer reports only 94% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 11, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2020 Land Rover Defender has problems
60 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
23Exterior lighting
14Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
9Engine
8Steering1 crash/fire/injury
6Visibility/wiper
5Structure
4Service brakes
3Power train
1Lane departure
77 other systems1 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 23 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 14 | 1 |
| Engine | 9 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 1 |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 1 |
| Power train | 3 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 1 | 0 |
| 7 other systems | 7 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
2020 Land Rover Defender recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2026 Q3
Air bags: frontal
NewRisk. An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
no report yet
Propulsion system: dc/dc converter
NewRisk. A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2024 Q4
Engine: oil/lubrication
Risk. An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Show 3 more recalls
repaired · 2023 Q2
Child seat: vehicle latch anchor
Risk. Incorrect child restraint information may result in a child seat being improperly secured, which can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
repaired · 2023 Q2
Exterior lighting: brake lights
Risk. Turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights that fail to illuminate can reduce visibility to other drivers and increase the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2023 Q2
Electrical system: software
Risk. An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Land Rover.
Best & worst years
2020 vs. every other Defender year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Defender median. How we score
'92'93'94'95'99'01'02'03'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
In owners' words
What Defender owners report
Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The halo light on drivers side has become inoperable & poses a safety hazard. After researching this issue, it has come to our attention that this is a habitual issue with these models & dealers are charging over $4K to have repaired. Properly functioning exterior lighting, especially in this…
The LED headlight assemblies on my 2020 Land Rover Defender have failed on both sides at about 47,000 miles. About 6 months ago, the LED daytime running light rings failed on both the driver and passenger sides. On 11/8 (3 days ago) the driver-side main beam also went completely out. At night the…
I am reporting a suspected systemic safety defect involving premature failure of the integrated LED daytime running lights (DRLs) on 2020–2026 Land Rover Defender (L663) vehicles. The DRLs reportedly fail at relatively low mileage, frequently around 50,000 miles, during normal vehicle operation.…
Own a 2020 Defender?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.