RoadVitals

1995 Land Rover Defender

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Jul 22, 2016
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Jun 20, 1996
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1995 Land Rover Defender, most frequently naming the engine category. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 10 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
96V108000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

Jun 20, 1996
4,254 units potentially affected
The defect: THE "HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE LABEL" WARNING WAS NOT INSTALLED ON THE BATTERIES IN THESE VEHICLES.
The risk: PERSONAL INJURY COULD OCCUR IF THESE BATTERIES ARE HANDLED INCORRECTLY.
The remedy: OWNERS WILL BE MAILED A BATTERY WARNING LABEL WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PLACEMENT OF SUCH LABELS AND A LETTER INFORMING THEM THAT THEY CAN ALSO BRING THE VEHICLE TO ANY DEALER AND HAVE THE LABEL INSTALLED FOR THEM FREE OF CHARGE.
RANGE ROVER NA., INC.View on NHTSA.gov
95V099000

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

May 16, 1995
155 units potentially affected
The defect: AT PORT OF ENTRY, A QUALITY OVERCHECK OF THE DIFFERENTIAL PINION SHAFT TORQUE WAS PERFORMED. THIS CHECK REQUIRED THE REMOVAL OF THE DRIVESHAFTS. WHEN THE DRIVESHAFTS WERE REINSTALLED, THE WRONG SIZED NUTS WERE USED.
The risk: THE NUTS CAN LOOSEN, ULTIMATELY CAUSING THE DISCONNECTION OF ONE OR BOTH OF THE DRIVESHAFTS RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HARDWARE ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WITH HARDWARE OF THE APPROPRIATE SPECIFICATIONS.
RANGE ROVER NA., INC.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Jul 22, 2016
Fire reported

OIL LINES RUPTURE CAUSING ENGINE FIRES EVEN FOLLOWING LAND ROVER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. MY SPECIFIC ENGINE FIRE HAPPENED AS I WAS ENTERING A HIGHWAY. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO LOOK IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR, SEE THE HUGE CLOUD OF SMOKE AND STOP ON THE EMERGENCY LANE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THE 1993, 1994, 1995 AND 1997 NAS DEFENDER-STYLE VEHICLES: HTTP://WWW.EASTCOASTROVER.COM/110OILLINES.HTML

NHTSA ID
10887877
Incident
Apr 12, 2012
Mileage
75,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SFCC-14SEP17

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call

SSM68378

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL; EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

"ISSUE: THIS SSM HAS BEEN RELEASED TO ADDRESS THE HIGH NUMBER OF SPEAKER ASSEMBLIES RETURNED, MANY OF WHICH ARE DEEMED AS “NO FAULT FOUND”. CAUSE: INCORRECT DIAGNOSIS."

370103

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

OIL SEEPAGE FROM MANUAL TRANSMISSION FRONT COVER. IMPROVED MANUAL TRANSMISSION SEALING. *TT

190198NAS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN DIAGNOSING IGNITION LEAD FAULTS AND IGNITION RELATED ISSUES. *TT

600197

STRUCTURE:BODY

FRONT SWIVEL SEAL REPLACEMENT AND GREASE FILL. *YC

190198NAS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN DIAGNOSING IGNITION LEAD FAULTS AND SUMMARIZES. *YC

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Land Rover Defender by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026330—
2025122056.3
2024236160.4
2023789056.8
2022686058.8
2021369054.0
2020527057.0
2019000—
2004000—
2003100—
2002300—
2001100—
2000000—
1999100—
1998000—
1997000—
1996000—
1995Viewing120—
1994010—
1993210—
1992010—
1990100—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.