Land Rover Defender 2020: Retiros, Quejas y Ley de Limón de California

The driver-side headlight assembly failed unexpectedly on my 2020 Land Rover Defender 110. This appears to be a known and recurring issue with this vehicle model involving the headlight or related electrical/control system. The failed component and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. The failure significantly reduced nighttime visibility and made the vehicle less visible to oncoming traffic and other drivers. Operating the vehicle with only one functioning headlight created a hazardous driving condition, especially during nighttime driving, adverse weather, and on poorly lit roads. This increased the risk of an accident for myself, passengers, and other motorists. The issue was reproduced and/or confirmed by the dealership/service center after inspection. The failure appears consistent with similar complaints reported by other Defender owners regarding headlight malfunction issues. The vehicle/component has been inspected by the dealership/service center. No inspection has been conducted by police or insurance representatives at this time. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure.

NHTSA #11738605

The Daytime Running Lights (DRL) stopped working. The biggest hazard of DRL failure in a 2020 Defender is reduced daytime visibility to other drivers, which increases accident risk, especially in marginal light conditions. Also, in the Defender, DRLs are LED-based and integrated into the front lighting assembly. A failure could point to wiring, control module, or fuse issues. If ignored, these could eventually affect other lighting systems. The issue has been reported to JLR and I will be taking the car to the dealer for formal diagnostics and report.

NHTSA #11688572

Mileage at time of failure: ~27,500 miles The signature LED headlamp assembly on my 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 X has experienced a failure of the integrated Daytime Running Light (DRL) module. The DRL has gone completely dark and is no longer functioning. This failure occurred shortly after the expiration of the factory warranty and affects a key visibility and safety feature of the vehicle. The only available repair, according to the dealership, is full replacement of the headlamp assembly at a cost of over $3,000. The DRL cannot be serviced independently. This is an unreasonable cost for a low-mileage vehicle and a safety-critical component. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting 2020–2022 Defender models, with numerous reports online from other owners citing identical DRL failures. This suggests a systemic design or quality defect in the headlamp assembly. A DRL failure undermines the vehicle’s visibility to other drivers and reduces safety during daylight driving. Given the high cost of repair and the frequency of reported failures, I believe this defect warrants investigation and potential recall action.

NHTSA #11674154

We have had our vehicle for 3 years and had to replace our windshield twice from random cracks starting from the exterior windshield where it meets the body of the care. It has happened on its own, twice, which impact from any object. The cost of the windshield, as installed is over $2000 each time, and it is repeated occurrence with owners.

NHTSA #11717917

My 2020 Defender has had three incidences of the windshield cracking due to the smallest pebble. The first two cracks, I had professionally sealed. The latest incident involved a pebble so small that I couldn't see it. In fact, the pebble was so tiny that a point of contact on the windshield can barely be observed. However, it caused the windshield to crack clear across the middle, impairing visibility and creating an unsafe driving experience. This is, I believe, the seventh Land Rover windshield that I have had the misfortune to have crack on me over the years. One Range Rover windshield cracked while sitting in the driveway with no projectiles involved. Another cracked in cooler overnight weather. These windshields are clearly defective and Land Rover is aware of the problem. This is why the dealership offers a very pricey windshield package as an option when you purchase the vehicle. I have called Land Rover corporate again in this instance because I'm fed up with paying $1800 to repair a defective bit of glass, only to have another crack appear and be forced to repair or replace that as well. Land Rover Corporate said that a pebble constituted "outside damage" and the windshield would not be covered under warranty. However, a driver does purchase a car under the presumption that the glass would be safe if struck by a tiny object or if taken through a car wash--as occurred with my previous Range Rover. Taken together, I do request that this consumer safety board review this issue as I know for a fact that I am not the only one concerned about the safety and reliability of the Land Rover windshields. Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA #11491779

My windshield cracked with no apparent strike with under 5K miles on the vehicle. Researching this, LOTS of people experience broken windshields on Defenders and Land Rover products. There are lots of discussion in online owners' forums about the frequency of this and some notion that JLR uses glass that is thinner than other manufacturers.

NHTSA #11433648

2020 Land Rover Defender with air intake snorkel was detached from the vehicle driving down the highway during a windy day. I see that Land Rover has recalled the snorkel for 2023 and 2024 models for that very reason. The recall should include 2020 models as well! I've noticed that there are many Land Rover Defender owners talking about this same issue online.

NHTSA #11634573

Driver's side A Pillar trim came loose at 75 mph on freeway and blew off the side of the car. Also pulled out mounting bolt for A Pillar Trim.

NHTSA #11484723

My front windshield cracked to the point of requiring replacement with neither notice nor reasonable cause (no impact, no crack starting point, besides the bottom edge, no temperature gradients, no pressure applied to the windshield).

NHTSA #11434894

The DC to DC converter for the Hybrid 48v Electrical system has failed. This puts the vehicle at risk of a fire. The part is backordered for a significant amount of time, and there are many others in this situation.

NHTSA #11712928

While I was driving, the vehicle shut down unexpectedly. I was sliding sideways across the road on ice on the side of a cliff and luckily was able to stop the vehicle before going off the side of the mountain. I had to entirely restart the vehicle to begin driving again.

NHTSA #11733249

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT HIGH SPEEDS ON AN INTERSTATE, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATED. BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER THE AIR CONDITIONER I'LL PROBABLY BEGIN TO STOP WORKING. FOLLOWING THIS, A SERIES OF MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER. FOLLOWING THIS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACTIVATE WHATSOEVER. ALL POWER WAS LOST. I COULD NOT SHIFT GEAR. THE CAR REQUIRED A TOW TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA #11353875

Steering wheel locked and I was unable to drive the car. Tried to start and restart but the steering wheel is locked and a safety hazard for me.

NHTSA #11446251

This happenedtwice after the most recent update(os 3.0). When i turned on my vehicle and engaged drive, power steering was disabled and/or locked. Im not sure which it was, but steering the vehicle was not possible, for several seconds, until it resolved itself.

NHTSA #11446777

WHILE DRIVING ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE'S LANE KEEP ASSIST FEATURE WHICH WAS TURNED OFF (THE DEFAULT POSITION) ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT OR WARNING AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN AND ABRUPTLY MOVED THE VEHICLE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THIS REQUIRED THE DRIVER TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO FORCE THE VEHICLE TO REMAIN STRAIGHT. A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE WAS REQUIRED TO OVERRIDE THE AUTOMATIC STEERING ACTION.

NHTSA #11360178

I am reporting a systemic failure of exhaust manifold retaining bolts on the 2020 Land Rover Defender (L663, P400 engine). While removing the engine skid plate, I discovered a fractured exhaust manifold bolt that had fallen down. The bolt head had separated, leaving the threaded portion in the cylinder head. There are I believe 12 manifold bolts securing the integrated exhaust manifold/turbocharger assembly, & multiple owners have documented similar failures, including cases with multiple broken bolts on one vehicle. The exhaust manifold is integrated with the turbocharger and is part of the emissions control pathway. This assembly operates at extremely high temps. Based on the pattern of failures, repeated thermal cycling and inadequate fastener material appear to cause bolt fatigue and fracture. When bolts break, proper clamping force is lost and hot exhaust gases escape directly into the engine compartment rather than remaining sealed within the manifold/turbo assembly. This presents serious safety concerns: Fire risk: Escaping exhaust gases from a turbocharged engine can exceed 1,000°F. These gases are released near wiring, plastic components, insulation, and other materials. Loss of sealing increases the risk of localized overheating and engine compartment fire. Exhaust gas intrusion: Exhaust leaks at the manifold can allow exhaust gases to enter the passenger compartment. Emissions defect: As this leak occurs upstream of emissions control components, unmetered exhaust gases escape before entering the emissions system, affecting federally regulated emissions compliance. This costs thousands to fix and owners are going to ignore it due to cost & unawareness. Multiple vehicles across varying mileages have experienced this issue, suggesting a systemic design or material defect rather than normal wear. Exhaust manifold fasteners should not fracture under normal operating conditions on a vehicle with 30,000 miles.

NHTSA #11721177

Hello! My 2020 P400 Defender is repeatedly not restarting itself at stoplights when the standard auto start/stop functionality engages. Upon removing my foot from the brake pedal to begin moving, what normally happens is thst the engine restarts itself and I drive off as normal. However, at least once or twice a day now, the car does not restart itself, the instrument cluster turns off, and I look down in the car has put itself into Park. I am stopped in traffic etc. This is a somewhat significant fault in my opinion - because it has now happened at busy intersections, highway on ramps, and other places where you do not want people aggressively honking or worse hitting you from behind if they are distracted. I thought perhaps I just needed a software update or something, but my car is confirmed to be on the newest Land Rover software systems for everything in the car. I have not taken it to the dealer for this problem yet (no appts avail) but will be taking it in later this month. The reason I decided to submit this to you is that I went on a Defender group on Facebook, and there are many posts on there with other people in the United States having the exact same problem. With both P300 and P400 engines in Defenders. So I believe this may be a fault with software or hardware (and not just an isolated issue with my Defender… which by the way is my favorite car I’ve ever owned!) — that needs to be rectified with some sense of urgency with Land Rover. Also, my novice testing of why and when this is happening has concluded one workaround that I believe prevents the issue: if I press the button on the dash to turn off the auto start/stop, this problem does not occur. However, the car defaults to auto start/stop being on at each ignition cycle - so that would need to be something that users would need to remember to do each time they started the car.

NHTSA #11455104

The DC/DC converter is failing on the vehicles regularly. This results in the vehicle losing power and shutting down while driving. I own this vehicle and while it hasn’t happened yet, I constantly fear that it will. With the common knowledge and frequency of this occurrence, Land Rover should fix as a recall to ensure the safety of all customers. Please push for this. Thank you.

NHTSA #11709603

I was driving at a speed of 66 miles when the engine died, the cluster showed a red triangle and showed an alarm setting message. Steering wheel vibrate and I could not moved. This event last around 3 seconds and the alarm disappeared and the engine came back.

NHTSA #11454234

While using the heated steering wheel function on my 2020 Land Rover Defender, the steering wheel began to overheat significantly after being turned on for a short time. The surface temperature became so hot that it burned and discolored the leather, releasing a strong burnt smell. This overheating poses a serious fire hazard and could easily burn the driver’s hands during operation. This issue compromises driver safety because the steering wheel is an essential control part of the vehicle. If the driver’s hand is burned or the leather catches fire, it could result in loss of control of the vehicle. There were no warning messages or lights before or during the incident. The problem has occurred multiple times and can be reproduced when the heated steering wheel function is activated. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I believe this is a critical safety defect that should not occur under normal operation and could potentially affect other vehicles of the same model.

NHTSA #11692533

My car does not fall under the VINs specified in recall N599 but is exhibiting the same unsafe conditions. At a rolling stop in traffic the car asks me to manually select a gear (while in Drive) and then shuts off the engine. The engine then will not restart and I am in unsafe conditions in intersections. I have brought the car to the dealership several times to resolve this and it continues to worsen. It has become a daily event and is now back at the delaership where they have told me it is not affected by this recall but clearly exhibits the same issue as described in that recall. This is a MAJOR SAFETY issue! The car shuts off without warning and wont restart. This is engine electrical system and transmission related. It drains the battery and leaves the car inoperable

NHTSA #11573495

The rear backup camera is foggy and it is not possible to see clearly while backing up. It is foggy in any weather condition, during the daylight, and at night. There are halos around lights at night in addition to the general fogginess.

NHTSA #11570514

2 windshields cracked within a 2 month period. Second windshield cracked about 45 days after installation with no evidence of any impact causing it. One morning I came out to my vehicle and there was a 6-8 inch crack starting at the bottom of the windshield. Have driven the same roads for 30 years and have never had issues with windshields and now 2 in a couple of months.

NHTSA #11547487

Windshield cracking for no reason Many occurrences in owners forum. Class action lawsuit filed. Manfature doing nothing. Windshields need to be redesigned .

NHTSA #11544299

Large clunking sound with shuddering of the vehicle during a turn at low speeds. Inspection revealed cracked transfer case and differential damage which could lead to loss of control of vehicle. Had part repaired at Land Rover, again malfunctioned after 1000 miles with shuddering and "skipping" of rear tires during turns. Aware of two other malfunctions of transfer case with instability during turns.

NHTSA #11533440

Sin narrativa detallada reportada.

NHTSA #11497159

Engine light came on while at a stop light, engine faltered completely and car stalled. Would not restart. Shifted car into Park and tried multiple times to restart, finally got it restarted. Rolled forward per the flow of traffic and engine died again in the middle of the intersection putting me directly in harm’s way. Multiple lights including engine light and dash warnings appeared. Pictures attached. This is a major safety issue, the car died and I could not move it forward. I was almost hit and could not get the car restarted, not once but twice. I have owned the car for less than one week, and it’s been back in the shop now twice. The first time ( Wednesday) was also for electrical issues, including sensor issues.

NHTSA #11463932

The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two mailboxes but the vehicle kept driving down a curved road onto the left lane. The brakes had failed to engage. The contact did not receive medical attention on the scene but later went to the hospital for injuries sustained. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard then towed to a body shop where it remained. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred after receiving the vehicle back from the dealer. The vehicle was originally taken to the dealer for the emergency brakes, lane departure, emergency steering, traction control warning lights, and cracked windshield. However, the dealer could not replicate the failure and only the lane departure software was updated and the windshield was replaced but not calibrated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,434.

Reportado presuntamente: 1 lesión (según lo reportado a NHTSA). NHTSA #11429431

TOTAL BRAKE AND STEERING LOSS AT 60MPH ..I CAN SEND YOU THE SCREEN SHOTS TOMORROW/ NOVEMBER 23RD (PROM THE PHOTOS TAKEN ON MY SON'S PHONE OF THE DASHBOARD NOTICE...PLUS A VIRTUAL GHOST-LIKE ABRUPT TAKE OVER OF LANE ASSISTANCE DESPITE MY HAVING TURNED THAT OFF!

NHTSA #11375851

WHILE DRIVING OUR ONE-MONTH OLD RANGE ROVER DEFENDER 110SE, THE BRAKES FAILED WITH NO WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP (PATRICK JAGUAR & LAND ROVER OF NAPERVILLE IL) WAS NON-RESPONSIVE TO MY REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION WHEN CALLED FROM ROADSIDE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE FLAT-BEDDED FROM SCENE. IT WAS TERRIFYING NOT TO HAVE BRAKING ABILITY.

NHTSA #11349162

The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that the lane departure feature would intermittently fail to operate as needed without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle would independently deviate in the opposite direction as intended. The contact also stated that the lane deviation feature could be turned off; however, the feature was reactivated upon restart of the vehicle. The dealer had been made aware of the failure on multiple occasions and the contact was informed that there was no remedy for the failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

NHTSA #11439368