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LAND ROVER · vehicle model

LAND ROVER DEFENDER

294 NHTSA complaints and 15 safety recalls across model years 1990–2025.

Complaints
294
Recalls
15
Model years
13

The LAND ROVERDEFENDER appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 294 consumer safety complaints and 15 recall campaigns across 13 model years (1990–2025). That averages roughly 23 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 1 investigation file tied to this model, with 1 currently open. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
202510
202428
202379
202270
202137
202057
20033
20024
20011
19991
19951
19932
19901

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 33 in 2017-2021 to 248 in 2022-2026, a rise of 651.5%. That is the 95th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

2
’01
7
’06
3
’07
1
’16
11
’20
22
’21
42
’22
56
’23
43
’24
37
’25
70
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare LAND ROVERDEFENDER to Similar Vehicles

LAND ROVERDEFENDER vs NISSANCUBE → LAND ROVERDEFENDER vs BMWX5 SAV → LAND ROVERDEFENDER vs BMWZ3 → LAND ROVERDEFENDER vs VOLVO770 →

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

PE25019Preliminary EvaluationOpen2025-12-11

Rear Seat Belt Stitching Failure and Detachment

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the LAND ROVER DEFENDER?▼
The LAND ROVER DEFENDER has received 294 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1990 to 2025, with 15 recalls. That averages about 23 complaints per model year.
What years of LAND ROVER DEFENDER are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the LAND ROVER DEFENDER from 1990 to 2025 (13 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the LAND ROVER DEFENDER have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many LAND ROVER DEFENDER model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common LAND ROVER DEFENDER complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the LAND ROVER DEFENDER are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my LAND ROVER DEFENDER has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. LAND ROVER DEFENDER totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.