Land Rover Defender Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability

Alternator & DC/DC Converter failure or DC/DC Converter failure that also led to Alternator failure. I will attach letter correspondence sent to Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.

SUPPLEMENTAL TO NHTSA COMPLAINT #11728718 (RECALL 26V248000) On March 2, 2026, my 2023 Land Rover Defender was at a dealership for approximately 3.5 hours for key fob programming. At that time, Jaguar Land Rover had an active service message (SSM76173) related to DC-DC converter failures. Within 24 hours of leaving the dealership, the DC-DC converter failed. The vehicle displayed a “Charging System Fault” warning and became inoperable, consistent with the failure described in my original complaint #11728718. I contacted the dealership immediately with information about the issue. They told me that what I experienced aligned with the DC Converter failures that have been reported. I asked if I could get my Defender picked up or if they could at least provide a loaner car if I could somehow get my Defender to them. The dealership declined towing assistance and did not provide a loaner vehicle, citing that I was beyond the mileage limit of the warranty. I was also told that loaner vehicles were reserved for customers who purchased their vehicle at that location. Because I live approximately 4 hours from the dealership and the vehicle was not safely operable, I arranged my own repair. Due to a national backorder, the vehicle was unusable for an extended period (about a month). I purchased a genuine replacement DC-DC converter and paid for expedited shipping. Total out-of-pocket cost exceeded $970. On April 23, 2026, Jaguar Land Rover issued Recall 26V248000 for this defect. Communication with JLR about this incident started on April 7, 2026. On April 23, 2026 at 8:05 am EST (following the announcement of the recall), I was offered a final settlement off of a $458 retailer credit. However, I was instructed that I needed to return to the dealership (4 hours away) for inspection of a vehicle that has already been repaired using an OEM part. I am submitting this update to document the failure, the repair, and the manufacturer’s response following the recall.

While driving my 2024 Land Rover Defender 130 on Route 114 in Massachusetts at approximately 8:30–9:00 PM in dark and rainy conditions, the vehicle suddenly and completely shut off while in motion. The vehicle lost all power:     •    Engine shut off     •    No gears functioned     •    Vehicle would not restart     •    Lights and hazard lights were not functioning The vehicle was stranded in the middle of an active roadway with no warning and no visibility. Because of this, I had to exit the vehicle into traffic, stop oncoming vehicles, and remove my child from the car. We crossed a live lane of traffic to get to safety while leaving the vehicle in the roadway. I called 911. Police responded and controlled traffic at the scene. In the presence of the responding officer, I attempted to restart the vehicle multiple times. It remained completely unresponsive for an extended period before eventually starting again without explanation. This vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power while in motion on an active roadway. This is a serious safety concern. I do not feel it is safe to transport my child or family in this vehicle. I am seeking a clear and definitive diagnosis and resolution. If this issue cannot be conclusively identified and repaired, the vehicle should not remain in service.     •    RSelect systems:     •    Engine     •    Electrical     •    Powertrain

On 4/2/2026, my DC to DC converter failed in my 2022 Landrover Defender (owned 3 months, purchased pre-owned from dealer), which short-circuited both my 12V battery and my telemetric safety battery (location services, and emergency calls). The vehicle lost all power, completely malfunctioned electrically losing ability to accelerate, power steering, and everything went dark in the vehicle while driving on a highway. I immediately tried to get it to the shoulder but it lost momentum and stopped in the lane, with cars and semis coming around a blind corner at speed. It was a harrowing experience, the car started to roll backwards (on a slight incline, as it was a mountain pass) and a semi truck had to assist in stopping the vehicle by skillfully, using his trailer to stop the vehicle. This created body damage to the entire side of my vehicle. The car then locked up completely, wheels were locked and tow truck had to drag it with a chain up on the bed. My son and I could have been killed, as traffic was coming around the bend at 60-65 mph and we were completely stopped and started rolling back towards the oncoming traffic. Several others could have been injured as my vehicle could have cause a major traffic collision. The issue has been reported to Jaguar Landrover customer service, reported to the dealership I bought the vehicle from and to the dealership who told me that it could help to drive the vehicle to charge the battery. The dealer where I towed the vehicle confirmed it was the DC to DC converter failure, confirmed that it fried or short-circuited both batteries which then caused the car to lose all power. The failure was confirmed by certified mechanics, and approved by an inspector for the extended warranty and repairs were made. There was an electrical fault warning on screen. One dealer told me to drive it to charge battery. This vehicle should be recalled to avoid safety issues.

While operating the vehicle within normal constraints, at or below the speed limit, a electrical fault warning alterted me to multiple issues. Begining with ABS failure warnings, and adaptable cruise failure the vehicle continued for the next 30 minutes to show multiple system failures. Finally the vehicle lost complete power in the middle of a street with the brakes locking and no ability to steer. Attempts to jumpstart the vehicle failed to remedy the situation. When the vehicle was taken to the dealer the problem was diagnosed to be a failure of the DC/DC converter.

The LED DRLs failed in the first 28000 miles leaving no DRLs. Researching this issues shows it it a known defect but not considered a safety issue. I disagree as visibility is greatly diminished without the lights. Numerous online complaints and LRJ reuses to compensate owners out of warranty.

Vehicle: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 P400 (MHEV) Component Failure: Failure of the 48V DC-DC converter module (L8B2-14B227-AD), which converts 48V to 12V and maintains the vehicle’s 12V electrical system. The component is available for inspection. What Happened: Vehicle displayed “Charging System Fault” and red battery warning. Shortly after, the vehicle became inoperable and left driver stranded. Diagnostics showed: 48V battery retained voltage (~45V) No current output from the 48V system No 12V charging DTC: P065B-16 (Generator Control Circuit Voltage Below Threshold) The DC-DC converter reported “Failure / Standby” and would not initialize. High-voltage contactors did not close, preventing power delivery from the 48V system. Safety Risk: Failure disables 12V charging and can render the vehicle inoperable without warning. This creates a risk of being stranded and loss of essential vehicle functions. Inspection / Confirmation: Issue was confirmed through diagnostic tools (GAP IIDTool). Failure condition and DTC are consistent with DC-DC converter malfunction. Warnings Prior to Failure: “Charging System Fault” message and red battery warning appeared immediately prior to loss of function. No earlier warning. Additional Information: Similar failures involving the DC-DC converter and 48V MHEV system have been reported by other owners. Failures outside of warranty result in significant repair costs.

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, causing it to roll to a stop in active traffic. At the time of the incident, I was partially in the roadway and unable to safely move the vehicle out of traffic. The vehicle became inoperable and could not be restarted. I had two children and two dogs in the vehicle at the time. The vehicle had to be towed approximately two hours back home. The required part was on backorder for approximately two months due to so many vehicles having the issue, leaving my vehicle unusable for an extended period. This issue creates a serious safety hazard due to the sudden loss of propulsion and inability to move the vehicle out of traffic. Based on my research, this appears to be a known issue affecting multiple Land Rover Defenders. In attempting to locate the part sooner, we contacted several Land Rover dealerships, all of which indicated they had numerous Defenders awaiting the same repair due to part availability.

DC-DC converter failure. Received dashboard message “Stop safely Electrical fault detected”

I believe there is an issue with the DC to DC converter. Had an incident when the vehicle was idling for at 30 mins while cleaning snow in driveway after a storm. I received an warning battery low. As thought this was odd I turned it off. waited a few hours returned and the warning was gone. I had JLR dealer look at the issue. I was told the main battery was faulty and replaced, this was in end of DEC 2025. Then weeks later [around Jan 18th 2026] when it was really cold out and driving to JFK airport. while in route i received an very generic electrical system fault warning. As i was leaving 1 of the terminals at JFK. on the exit ramp of the terminal I had complete electrical failure was lucky enough to be able to be able to pull to shoulder, but was coasting about 1-2 mph, and stop. It took 3 attempts to restart the vehicle, when it started normally and all electrical was acting normal. if this happened while on the highway it would have caused an accident and i believe injuries. i will say the hazard warning lights were still working. I have also been noticing that the digital dashboard display brightness will fade in and out anytime of the day and weather randomly. Today this happened and received a low coolant warning and a tire low warning at the same time. I check the coolant level and it is normal. I check the tire pressures and they are normal.

Received a stop vehicle, "Electrical Fault". Diagnosed by certified mechanic to be DC to DC Converter fault needing replacement. Estimated 1-2 month backorder due to high demand for parts.

While driving on a busy road. My car gave a message saying electrical failure and transmission failure. Within 20 seconds shut the car down before I could safely pull over and it was unable to start. Hazard lights didn’t work and I was stuck in the middle of the road until a tow truck came. The dealer diagnosed the problem as a failure of the dc to dc converter. It has been replaced but took two weeks to repair