2021 Land Rover Defender

The signature halo LED ring on the front headlight stopped working and has now failed completely, impairing headlight performance. Land Rover previously replaced one of these units when under warranty, but now refuse to fix the second one unless privately paid for (I am now out of warranty). This is a known and common issue and is clearly a safety concern and a consequence of a Land Rover design flaw. In my opinion, this should be a safety recall.

NHTSA ID

11766706

Incident

Sep 1, 2026

On my 2021 Land Rover Defender 110, the front Daytime Running Light (DRL) halo unit experienced a complete illumination failure due to an internal component defect. Because the LED DRL system is permanently sealed inside the headlamp assembly, replacing the failed light required a complete headlamp replacement costing nearly $3,000 out of pocket. Shortly after this initial repair, the DRL halo unit on the remaining original headlamp assembly experienced the exact same total failure. This is a known pattern defect across 2020–2023 Land Rover Defender models caused by internal heat degradation of the LED components (referenced in JLR Special Service Message SSM 75479). The failure of exterior daytime running lights significantly reduces daytime vehicle visibility to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, creating an unexpected safety hazard. Jaguar Land Rover designed an integrated lighting system where a minor internal LED failure renders the primary safety lighting inoperable and requires a nearly $3,000 unit replacement per side. Given the immediate back-to-back failure of both factory headlamps, this is a dangerous systemic component defect rather than standard wear and tear.

NHTSA ID

11765315

Incident

Aug 18, 2026

I am reporting a severe and known thermal design defect regarding the factory LED headlight assemblies on the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110.The integrated Daytime Running Light (DRL) LED module has completely failed and burned out prematurely on my vehicle (Current mileage: 66,800). This is a well-documented engineering failure across the L663 Defender community, tracked internally by Land Rover under Special Service Message SSM 75479. The internal LED driver chip consistently overheats and destroys itself within the sealed headlight unit.Because this is a sealed component, Land Rover does not offer a replacement bulb or individual electronic module repair. Instead, consumers are forced to replace the entire headlight assembly at a cost of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket, as the vehicle is past its standard factory warranty.This is a critical safety issue. The loss of the daytime running light significantly reduces vehicle visibility to other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists during daytime hours and adverse weather conditions. Furthermore, the complete unexpected failure of safety-critical exterior lighting elements creates an unnecessary hazard on public roads.Land Rover is fully aware of this thermal design flaw but has failed to issue a safety recall to update the defective cooling or electrical components within these headlamp assemblies. I request that the NHTSA investigate this systemic lighting failure and mandate a manufacturer recall to replace these defective units before visibility-related accidents occur.

NHTSA ID

11763882

Incident

Aug 31, 2026

Driver Side Daytime running lamp illumination failed at 45 thousand miles. There is no internal notification of the failure and it failed prematurely. Its outside of the JLR warranty and they are not supporting any repair nor is the dealer who wants to replace both lamps at the cost of $6,000.

NHTSA ID

11757436

Incident

Jun 8, 2026

On XXX at approximately 8:10am I received this red warning on my vehicle: "OK to drive with caution. Hybrid system fault detected." I was driving my daughter to daycare at the time and didn't feel safe continuing to do that. My wife had to drive 25minutes to come and get us and safely continue our trip. No other issues with the vehicle prior to this incident. A month or two prior to that, I had received the recall notice regarding a failure of the DCDC converter and that an electrical fault warning could potentially happen. Well I got that warning and then my check engine light remained on. I immediately called [XXX] Jaguar Land Rover in [XXX] and got an appointment for the following Wednesday, August 5th. I was put in a loaner while they checked out the vehicle. On Wednesday, August 12th, I heard back from [XXX] regarding my vehicle and this was the message I got from the system: [Primary]: LCEL - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIAGNOSIS: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIAGNOSIS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT - DIAGNOSIS - CUSTOMER STATES ON SOLID, VEHICLE SEEMS JERKY Check Engine Light - Diagnosis-Land Rover: MHEV BATTERY will need replaced. ran multiple tests on topix thru the work flow. DTCs confirmed internal malfunction to MHEV BATTERY. it will also need programmed once installed. includes hour of diag My rep followed up and let me know that this was going to be outside of my extended warranty coverage. I followed up asking about the recall and the relation to this incident. He responded and said he still had very limited information in regards to that recall, so once parts and repair procedures are released, I could be entitled to reimbursement. I'm failing to understand how LandRover wouldn't cover this. It's directly related to the recall notice I got in April, and then what they described could happen, effectively happened to my vehicle. I did not feel safe driving it so I didn't drive it until it was time to drop it off. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11756648

Incident

Jul 28, 2026

The left headlight daytime running light has died due to a defective chip in the light itself. It may cause a higher chance of a daytime wreck because of reduced visibility. Also, more chance of me getting pulled over for my headlight not working. Apparently it’s a common issue that JLR know about, but won’t do anything. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Special Service Message (SSM) 75479 relates to the premature failure or dimming of the Daytime Running Light (DRL) halo on premium LED headlights, most notably affecting vehicles like the 2020-2023 Land Rover Defender. SSM 75479 acknowledges the internal awareness of this condition for technicians, though it is designated as an informational service message rather than a formal recall.

NHTSA ID

11755150

Incident

Aug 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Land Rover Defender. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11754833

Incident

Aug 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the driver-side windshield exterior A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle and blocked the driver-side rearview mirror, obstructing rear visibility. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the highway, and the detached A-Pillar trim was completely removed from the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred on two occasions, resulting in the replacement of both the driver-side and passenger-side A-pillar trims. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA ID

11748533

Incident

Jan 2, 2025

Mileage

35,000 mi

TCU Activation Failure And InControl App Inoperative After Software Update

Air Conditioning Inoperative / Intermittent Operation

Intermittent Passive Entry Operation 24MY Or With New Service Smart Key Fob.

Exhaust System Oxygen (O2) Sensors - Extended Warranty

A low-speed ‘clonk’ type noise from the rear driveline, audible during low speed throttle inputs, often coupled with up/down gear changes. The noise is audible during normal road driving conditions.

Software Over The Air (SOTA) updates are failing to complete. Specifically Vehicle Domain Controller (VDC) PIVI and Gateway Module A (GWM). These vehicles have now been stopped from further SOTA attempts and require a wired intervention.