Total Complaints
3 filings
LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 · model year
1997 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997LAND ROVERDEFENDER 90 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1997 DEFENDER 90 is exterior lighting:tail lights with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and structure:frame and members (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 11 investigation files overlapping the 1997 DEFENDER 90, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100607STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THE VEHICLE FRAME IS PREMATURELY RUSTING TO THE POINT IT MAY FAIL. *TR
Mileage: 85,000
20100410ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE ODOMETER IN MY 1997 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 BLINKS AT 135000 KM AND IT STOP SHOWING THE NUMBERS. NOW I CANT READ HOW MANY KILOMETERS I DRIVE THEREFORE I M WORRY ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE DRIVE TRAIN. I M AFRAID BY NOT KNOWING HOW MANY KM I M DRIVING MAY LEAD TO ENGINE DAMAGE AS I MAY NOT CHANGE ENGINE OIL AT THE REQUIRED INTERVAL RESULTING IN COSTLY REPAIR. *TR
Mileage: 130,000
19971110EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
CONSUMER STATES MOISTURE IS ENTERING IN THE TAIL LIGHTS ASSEMBLY, CAUSING THE TAIL LIGHTS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. CONSUMER STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Compare 1997LAND ROVERDEFENDER 90 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
PE25019Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Rear Seat Belt Stitching Failure and Detachment
AQ24004Audit QueryOpen
High Voltage Coolant Heaters may fail to defrost windshield
EA20001Engineering AnalysisClosed
Loss of Brake Power Assist
PE20007Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Spoiler Cover Detachment
RQ19004Recall QueryClosed
Fuel Tank Flange Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 have?▼
The 1997 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1997 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
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. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1997 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90; 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.