The Verdict
Worst problem area
Electrical
Electrical leads by volume: 16 of 27 complaints (59%) mention it.
Complaints filed fell from 93 in 2023 to 27 in 2024.
At a glance
- NHTSA complaints
- 27
- Recall campaigns
- 8
- EPA fuel cost per year
- $3,850–$4,850
- Combined MPG
- 16–20
Complaints by model year
Where owners report problems
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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | vs. 2024 Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 4,050–4,850 | 3,850–4,850 | 3,850–4,850 | 4,050–4,850 | 3,850–4,850 | |
| Combined MPG | 16–19 | 16–20 | 16–20 | 16–19 | 16–20 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 14–18 / 19–22 | 14–18 / 19–23 | 14–18 / 18–22 | 14–18 / 18–21 | 14–18 / 18–23 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 462–563 | 444–563 | 453–563 | 465–574 | 448–574 | |
| Complaints filed | 79 | 93 | 27 | 13 | 6 | |
| Recalls issued | 7 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 3 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Injuries reported | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 |
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 2024 Land Rover Defender have?
8 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 2024 Land Rover Defender?
Electrical: 16 of 27 NHTSA complaints (59%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2024 Land Rover Defender get?
EPA rates it 16–20 MPG combined across 9 configurations.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2024 Land Rover Defender?
EPA estimates $3,850–$4,850 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (9)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (S8) | 4 | 2.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 18 mpg (high) | 20 mpg | 19 mpg | $4,050 | 474 g/mi |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 17 mpg | 20 mpg | 18 mpg | $4,300 | 484 g/mi |
| Configuration 3 | Automatic (S8) | 4 | 2.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 18 mpg (high) | 21 mpg | 19 mpg | $4,050 | 465 g/mi |
| Configuration 4 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 18 mpg (high) | 22 mpg (high) | 20 mpg (high) | $3,850 (low) | 453 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 5 | Automatic (S8) | 8 | 5.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 15 mpg | 19 mpg | 16 mpg (low) | $4,850 (high) | 545 g/mi |
| Configuration 6 | Automatic (S8) | 8 | 5.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 14 mpg (low) | 19 mpg | 16 mpg (low) | $4,850 (high) | 563 g/mi (high) |
| Configuration 7 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 17 mpg | 20 mpg | 18 mpg | $4,300 | 489 g/mi |
| Configuration 8 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 17 mpg | 20 mpg | 18 mpg | $4,300 | 491 g/mi |
| Configuration 9 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.0L | 4-Wheel Drive | Premium | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 16 mpg | 18 mpg (low) | 17 mpg | $4,550 | 529 g/mi |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 4 | 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 (8)
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:WEBBING:STITCHING
- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2024 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The second-row seat belt may be improperly stitched.
- Consequence
- An improperly stitched seat belt may fail to properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the second-row seat belt serial number, and replace the seat belt, as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 20, 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 D130.
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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE; EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT
- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023 Discovery Sport, 2023-2024 Defender, and 2023 Range Rover Evoque vehicles. The touchscreen in the center console may go blank at vehicle startup, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Consequence
- A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the touchscreen software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N972.
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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA; FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2024 Defender, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar, and Range Rover Sport vehicles. The Near Field Sensing Module (NFSM) may overheat and cause the 3D surround camera images, including the rearview camera image, not to display.
- Consequence
- A rearview camera image that does not display can decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the NFSM, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 24, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N927.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:FILTER/SCREEN
- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Defender, 2024 Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The oil filter housing can crack and leak oil into the engine compartment.
- Consequence
- An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the filter housing, oil filter, and o-rings, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N908.