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2022 Land Rover Defender

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

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There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 2 of 72 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

25 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 22, 2026
Air BagsElectrical SystemExterior Lighting

My vehicle is losing power from the battery showing battery needs to recharge and its full charged have to turn interior lights off

NHTSA ODI #11752159

Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2026
Electrical System

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.

NHTSA ODI #11733829

Mileage unknown · Apr 14, 2026
Electrical SystemCrash

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 accele…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11731110

Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 2026
Electrical System

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.…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11724030

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2026
Electrical System

The vehicle lost power after a warning that the battery was not recharging. I have a portable jump start battery. Tried to jump start it -- the battery would not hold a charge once cables disconnected. Had the vehicle towed to the dealer. I was told this is a DC-to-DC converter problem that is widespread across Defenders 202…

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The vehicle lost power after a warning that the battery was not recharging. I have a portable jump start battery. Tried to jump start it -- the battery would not hold a charge once cables disconnected. Had the vehicle towed to the dealer. I was told this is a DC-to-DC converter problem that is widespread across Defenders 20222-present. parts are unavailable.Being stuck in a vehicle with no power, absolutely dead, is scary and would have been a major problem if the electrics had gone out while driving.

NHTSA ODI #11722124

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2026
Electrical SystemPower Train

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 …

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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

NHTSA ODI #11721964

Mileage unknown · Feb 26, 2026
Electrical System

The vehicle experienced an electrical issue regarding a DC/DC converter that went bad after the manufacturer software update. The vehicle displayed warnings that the vehicle needed to come to a stop and that the electrical system, in regards to the safety systems were not functioning. This includes the airbag systems, charging …

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The vehicle experienced an electrical issue regarding a DC/DC converter that went bad after the manufacturer software update. The vehicle displayed warnings that the vehicle needed to come to a stop and that the electrical system, in regards to the safety systems were not functioning. This includes the airbag systems, charging systems, and SOS systems.

NHTSA ODI #11720676

Mileage unknown · Feb 26, 2026
Electrical System

The DC converter on our 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 failed. We received some electrical fault notices that would come and go inconsistently a few days before the incident. Land Rover told us to drive the car to the dealer to get repaired, even when we asked whether that was safe. On the way to the dealer, the car completely tur…

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The DC converter on our 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 failed. We received some electrical fault notices that would come and go inconsistently a few days before the incident. Land Rover told us to drive the car to the dealer to get repaired, even when we asked whether that was safe. On the way to the dealer, the car completely turned off in the middle of traffic and became a brick and had to be towed in negative degree weather to the dealer where it has sat for a month today. The car shutdown/lost control on Rt 1 in Massachusetts and was fortunately able to steer off the road into a parking lot before it became a brick in the middle of a parking lot, not in a spot or anything. The dealer expects this is a DC converter problem but the car is a complete brick and cannot turn on or be moved around at the dealer until the part arrives. We've been told the part is on back order for months and there is no timeline for when it will be repaired.

NHTSA ODI #11720634

Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2026
Electrical System

DC to DC Converter failed, rendering vehicle dead. No parts available to repair. Forced to wait for months.

NHTSA ODI #11717048

Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2026
Electrical System

DC to DC converter failure that displays a RED warning indicator that says "Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected" with a red battery indicator symbol displayed simultaneously. I called the dealer as this is the 3rd time I have experienced similar electrical issues that have left me stranded since my purchase of this truck new …

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DC to DC converter failure that displays a RED warning indicator that says "Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected" with a red battery indicator symbol displayed simultaneously. I called the dealer as this is the 3rd time I have experienced similar electrical issues that have left me stranded since my purchase of this truck new Jan '22. The dealer brushed me off the first time telling me I didn't drive the vehicle enough, 2nd time they replaced the battery, now they said they had a bulletin (1 month prior) from Land Rover of known DC-DC converter failure with no ETA for parts. I was told by the dealer the steering could lock up and/or the vehicle could have brake failure. I had it towed 1 hour to the dealer. There are 10 other vehicle sitting at this one dealer awaiting the same part replacement and they never notified me of this issue when they were aware of the safety concerns a month prior to my 3rd incident. This is a now known nationwide issue with Defenders and I have a claim in for it to be covered under the factory warranty since my factory warranty had just expired 9 days prior especially given my prior record of electrical issues with this particular vehicle. This is still not resolved and it has been at the dealer for 18 days as it is not safe to drive and still awaits a part with no estimated time for repair.

NHTSA ODI #11716451

Official recalls

5

26V389000 · Air Bags:frontal

Jun 12, 2026

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 driver’s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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 service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.

26V248000 · Electrical System:propulsion System:dc/dc Converter

Apr 17, 2026

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.) The DC-DC converter can fail due to an internal fault in the boost control microchip. 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: The remedy for this recall is currently under development. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the 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.

23V044000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:oil/lubrication

Feb 2, 2023

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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 customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N763.

22V523000 · Seat Belts:pretensioner

Jul 21, 2022

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2022-23 Land Rover Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport and 2022 Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners may be damaged, which can cause the seat belts to not properly restrain occupants.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Improperly restrained occupants have an increased risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N720.

21V435000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:tail Lights; Exterior Lighting:turn Signal

Jun 8, 2021

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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 this recall is N598.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Exterior Lighting:turn Signal

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.

Consequence: 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 this recall is N598.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights

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.

Consequence: 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 this recall is N598.

Exterior Lighting:tail Lights

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.

Consequence: 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 this recall is N598.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.