The Verdict
Worst problem area
Visibility & Lighting
Visibility & Lighting leads by volume: 30 of 79 complaints (38%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Electrical include more crash reports (2) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed rose from 42 in 2021 to 79 in 2022.
At a glance
- NHTSA complaints
- 79
- Recall campaigns
- 7
- EPA fuel cost per year
- $4,050–$4,850
- Combined MPG
- 16–19
Complaints by model year
Where owners report problems
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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | vs. 2022 Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 4,050–4,300 | 4,050–4,300 | 4,050–4,850 | 3,850–4,850 | 3,850–4,850 | |
| Combined MPG | 18–19 | 18–19 | 16–19 | 16–20 | 16–20 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 17–18 / 20–22 | 17–18 / 20–22 | 14–18 / 19–22 | 14–18 / 19–23 | 14–18 / 18–22 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 462–492 | 462–492 | 462–563 | 444–563 | 453–563 | |
| Complaints filed | 58 | 42 | 79 | 93 | 27 | |
| Recalls issued | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 8 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Injuries reported | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2022 Land Rover Defender have?
7 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Nov 7, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2022 Land Rover Defender?
Visibility & Lighting: 30 of 79 NHTSA complaints (38%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2022 Land Rover Defender get?
EPA rates it 16–19 MPG combined across 6 configurations.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2022 Land Rover Defender?
EPA estimates $4,050–$4,850 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (6)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 17 mpg | 22 mpg (high) | 19 mpg (high) | $4,050 (low) | 462 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 17 mpg | 22 mpg (high) | 19 mpg (high) | $4,050 (low) | 462 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 3 | Automatic (S8) | 8 | 5.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 14 mpg (low) | 19 mpg (low) | 16 mpg (low) | $4,850 (high) | 563 g/mi (high) |
| Configuration 4 | Automatic (S8) | 4 | 2.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 17 mpg | 20 mpg | 18 mpg | $4,300 | 492 g/mi |
| Configuration 5 | Automatic (S8) | 4 | 2.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 18 mpg (high) | 21 mpg | 19 mpg (high) | $4,050 (low) | 466 g/mi |
| Configuration 6 | Automatic (S8) | 8 | 5.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 15 mpg | 19 mpg (low) | 16 mpg (low) | $4,850 (high) | 545 g/mi |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 29 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (7)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
- Defect
- 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
- 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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS; EQUIPMENT
- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Land Rover Defender vehicles equipped with Raised Air Intake (RAI) aftermarket accessory equipment, with part number VPLEP0543. The raised air intake may not be secured properly, which can allow the intake to detach from the vehicle.
- Consequence
- A detached raised air intake can fall off the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, remove and reinstall the RAI accessory, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed February 20, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N964.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION
- Defect
- 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
- 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.
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
- Defect
- 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
- 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.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
- Defect
- 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.