2021 Land Rover Defender Reliability & Recall Report
Based on 10 NHTSA recalls and 42 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.
C
57/100
Elevated Reported Activity — 2021 Land Rover Defender
The 2021 Land Rover Defender shows elevated recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Make sure any recall campaigns are resolved before purchase and have the vehicle inspected thoroughly.
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10
NHTSA Recalls
10 recalls on record
42
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
0
Crash Reports
In NHTSA complaints
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NHTSA Recalls — 2021 Land Rover Defender (10)
All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Land Rover dealer at no charge to the owner.
🔧 Exterior Lighting: Tail Lights
Turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights that fail to illuminate can reduce visibility to other drivers and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear light assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 27, 2021. Owners can contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for…
🔧 Seat Belts: Front: Retractor
An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed October 20, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837….
🔧 Equipment: Other: Owners/Service/Other Manual
Incorrect child restraint information may result in a child seat being improperly secured, which can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Land Rover will mail owners the correct information to insert into the owner's manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 23, 2021. Owners may contact Land…
🔧 Power Train: Automatic Transmission: Control Module (tcm/Pcm/Tecm)
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The Connected Diagnostic Services (CDS) and the Over-the-air (OTA) diagnostics functionality will be disabled, either by a dealer or through an OTA update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were…
🔧 Seats
A seat that is not properly locked into place can move unintentionally during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front seat tracks, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 28, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's…
🔧 Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Oil/Lubrication
An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine cam carrier and related components as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover…
🔧 Equipment
A detached raised air intake can fall off the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, remove and reinstall the RAI accessory, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed February 20, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at…
🔧 Electrical System: Propulsion System: Dc/Dc Converter
A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
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…
🔧 Air Bags: Frontal
An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
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…
🔧 Electrical System: Propulsion System: Dc/Dc Converter
A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
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. Additional letters will be sent…
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Most Common Problems — 2021 Land Rover Defender
Based on 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.
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Land Rover Defender — Complaints by Year
A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2021 model year is highlighted.
→ Decode a Land Rover VIN — free Land Rover VIN decoder guide: where to find the VIN and what each part means.
✅ Best model years: 2025 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.
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Frequently Asked Questions — 2021 Land Rover Defender
Is the 2021 Land Rover Defender reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 Land Rover Defender has 10 recall campaigns and 42 owner complaints. This model year shows elevated recall or complaint activity — review the details and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
How many recalls does the 2021 Land Rover Defender have?
The 2021 Land Rover Defender has 10 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Land Rover Defender?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2021 Land Rover Defender are: Exterior Lighting, Visibility/wiper, Electrical System, Structure. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2021 Land Rover Defender safe to buy?
The 2021 Land Rover Defender has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 10 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year Land Rover Defender should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Land Rover Defender are: 2025. These show the lowest complaint rates.
How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update.
For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit
NHTSA.gov/recalls.