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Is the Land Rover Defender Reliable?

2020–2026 reliability analysis based on NHTSA safety recalls and owner complaints.

67/100
Good

Reliability Score

15
Total Recalls
150
Owner Complaints
0
Reported Injuries
0
Reported Deaths

Own a Land Rover Defender? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.

Land Rover Defender Reliability by Year

Model YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesDeathsReliability ScoreRating
2026————Not enough data
202506——
94
Excellent
2024421——
59
Fair
2023447——
50
Fair
2022139——
65
Good
2021414——
66
Good
2020223——
67
Good

Reliability scores are proprietary to VinCheckEngine and incorporate multiple weighted safety signals.

How the Defender Compares to Similar Vehicles

Land Rover Defender67/100
Suv Category Average68/100

The Defender scores 1 points below the average suv. Consider checking years with lower complaint volumes.

Known Land Rover Defender Reliability Issues

The following components appear most frequently in owner complaints filed with NHTSA:

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
33
ENGINE
19
VISIBILITY/WIPER
19
STEERING
15
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
11
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
10

Based on 150 owner complaints across recent model years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Land Rover Defender reliable?+

The Land Rover Defender scores 67/100 on our reliability index — rated "Good." Across 7 recently analyzed model years, it accumulated 15 recall campaigns and 150 owner complaints in the NHTSA database.

What year Defender is most reliable?+

Among the years analyzed, the 2025 Defender achieved the highest reliability score of 94/100 with 0 recalls and 6 complaints.

How many miles does a Defender last?+

With consistent maintenance, most Land Rover Defender owners report 150,000 to 200,000+ miles of service life. Checking the VIN of any specific used Defender will reveal its actual mileage history and any title events.

More Land Rover Defender Research

Common Problems

Detailed breakdown of every reported defect for the Land Rover Defender.

Years to Avoid

Which Defender years have the most problems — and which are the best buys.

Check a Specific Land Rover Defender VIN

Model-level reliability scores show general trends. A VIN-specific report reveals the exact history of any individual vehicle — accidents, odometer records, auction events, and open recalls.

Run a Free VIN Report →