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2021 Land Rover Defender Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Land Rover Defender, most often about the lights (38% of complaints). It is 4th of 10 Defender model years by number of complaints and has 9 recalls.
Most common 2021 Land Rover Defender problems
Lights
16 complaints · 38%Visibility and wipers
13 complaints · 31%Parts named most often: windshield.
The contact owns a 2021 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that the windshield cracked without impact, causing electrical issues. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and told the contact that they were unable to assist. The…
Electrical
5 complaints · 12%Other or unspecified
4 complaints · 10%Body and structure
3 complaints · 7%Parts named most often: body.
The contact owns a 2021 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the driver-side windshield exterior a-pillar trim detached from the vehicle and blocked the driver-side rearview mirror, obstructing rear visibility. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the highway, and the…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2021 Land Rover Defender recalls
Electrical: dc/dc converter
Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact land rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land rover's number for this recall is e008. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26v248.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2019-2024 land rover range rover sport, 2020-2024 land rover range rover evoque, land rover range rover, land rover discovery sport, land rover defender, 2021-2024 land rover range rover velar, jaguar e-pace, f-pace, and land rover discovery vehicles. The dc-dc converter may malfunction due to an electrical overload that can occur during high power demand. Additionally, a software error can cause the dc-dc converter to stop functioning at vehicle start-up under certain circumstances. Failure of the dc-dc converter will result in the loss of 12-volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.
Air bags: frontal
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driverâs air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed august 3, 2026. Owners may contact land rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land rover's number for this recall is d120.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2020-2026 land rover defender, 2021-2026 discovery, and 2022-2026 range rover vehicles. The driverâs air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.
Electrical: dc/dc converter
Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 remedy is available. Owners may contact land rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land rover's numbers for this recall are d126 and h575.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2021-2024 land rover range rover velar and land rover discovery, 2020-2023 land rover range rover evoque, 2019-2024 land rover range rover sport, 2020-2024 land rover range rover, 2020 land rover discovery sport, 2020-2024 land rover defender, 2021-2024 jaguar f-pace, and 2021-2022 jaguar e-pace mild-hybrid electric vehicles (mhevs). Insufficient electrical load balancing during times of high demand can lead to a current overload condition and malfunction of the dcdc converter. A failure of the dc-dc converter will result in a loss of 12-volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.
Engine: oil/lubrication
Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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 customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land rover's number for this recall is n763.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2019-2023 range rover sport, 2020-2023 range rover, defender, 2022-2023 discovery, and 2023 range rover velar vehicles. The engine cam carrier oil channel may be blocked, which can lead to an oil leak.
Seat belts: retractor
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: 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. Land rover's number for this recall is n630.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2021 range rover, 2022 range rover sport, 2020-2021 range rover velar, discovery sport, 2020-2022 discovery, and defender vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly.
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.
Fix: 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 rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land rover's number for this recall is n601.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 land rover defender vehicles. The owner's manual incorrectly states that the third-row seating is equipped with latch child seat restraints with top tethers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 225, "child restraint anchorage systems."
Seats
Risk: A seat that is not properly locked into place can move unintentionally during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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 number for this recall is n609.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2021 defender 90 vehicles equipped with manually-adjustable front seats. The front seat track end-stop bracket may become deformed, which could prevent the seat from locking into place.
Lights: turn signal
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.
Fix: 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 this recall is n598.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2020-2022 defender x vehicles equipped with smoked rear light assemblies. A voltage spike, triggered by a bright light shining on the rear of the vehicle, can cause the turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights to fail.
Electrical: software
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 mailed july 28, 2021. Owners may contact land rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land rover's number for this recall is n599.
Full defect summary
Jaguar land rover north america, llc (land rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 land rover defender vehicles equipped with 6-cylinder engines. The powertrain control module (PCM) may unexpectedly switch off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in an engine stall with no warning.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2021 Land Rover Defender
- What are the most common problems with the 2021 Land Rover Defender?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: lights (16 complaints); visibility and wipers (13 complaints); electrical (5 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2021 Land Rover Defender have?
- 9 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 17, 2026 (electrical). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2021 a bad year for the Land Rover Defender?
- It is 4th of 10 Defender model years by number of complaints, with 42 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.