2026 Land Rover Defender

The transmission has failed twice while the vehicle was in motion, causing loss of gear control and, on one occasion, loss of parking brake function. Incident 1 — March 24, 2026: While driving on the highway, the transmission failed and the vehicle entered a "safety mode." The vehicle was in dealer service for 8 days at Findlay Land Rover. Incident 2 — July 4, 2026, approximately 9:55 AM, at 6.1 miles into the trip, near South Buffalo Drive / Summerlin Parkway, Las Vegas, NV: While making a right turn off the Summerlin Parkway exit, the vehicle suddenly shifted into neutral with no prior warning. A check engine light and "Gearbox fault detected" alert appeared on the dashboard. The vehicle coasted downhill and my worker was able to steer it to the shoulder. Once stopped, the gearshift would not engage any gear other than neutral, and the electronic parking brake also failed to engage. My worker kept his foot on the brake pedal continuously and did not turn off the engine, fearing the vehicle could not be safely towed otherwise. A tow was requested at 10:09 AM and arrived at 11:01 AM; at that point the parking brake functioned again, and the vehicle was winched onto the tow truck. The vehicle was dropped off at Land Rover Las Vegas at 11:41 AM. Upon repair pickup on July 7, 2026, the service advisor stated the issue was software-related — the vehicle's computer had taken the transmission offline. The malfunctioning transmission and intermittent loss of parking brake function on a moving public road presents a serious safety risk, particularly since the failure occurred without warning during normal driving conditions.