2022 Land Rover Defender Owner Complaints

Halo lighting on front headlamps stopped working

NHTSA ID

11765010

Incident

Sep 2, 2026

DRL Halo failure/driver side: I own a business, and am on the road driving throughout the day. I have had at least 3 incidents where other drivers have pulled out in front of me, in which I believe was due to the DLR Halo failure. I was also stopped by a Traffic Officer because he thought it was a full 'headlight' failure. I had to explain to him that the DLR Halo failure is a KNOWN issue to Land Rover and that the core headlight still works. Safety Issues: Reduced Visibility: DRLs make your vehicle easier for oncoming traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists to see during daylight hours, especially in overcast weather or glare conditions. A daytime running light (DRL) failure on a vehicle like the Land Rover Defender primarily reduces your truck's daytime visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a collision. Stats: Daytime running lights (DRLs) reduce multi-vehicle daytime traffic accidents by about 5% to 15%, depending on the specific study and crash type.Key Reduction StatisticsGeneral Multi-Vehicle Crashes: A major meta-analysis shows a 10% to 15% reduction in multi-party daytime accidents for cars using DRLs. A Monash University study found an 8.8% reduction in non-nighttime multi-vehicle crashes.Head-On and Opposite-Direction Collisions: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that DRLs reduce opposite-direction daytime fatal and non-fatal crashes by 5%.Vulnerable Road Users: NHTSA data indicates a 12% reduction in daytime pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in single-vehicle crashes, and a 23% reduction in daytime fatal crashes between a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle.Specific Fleet/Manufacturer Studies: General Motors and independent evaluations typically estimate a general crash reduction of over 5% in urban and mixed environments. While I am driving a 2022 Defender with a DLR Halo defect, Land rover is directly putting me at 5 to 15% greater risk of injury, SBI injury or death.

NHTSA ID

11759228

Incident

Aug 21, 2026

Component and System Failure: The front headlamp assembly's internal LED Daytime Running Lamp (DRL) circuit board failed prematurely. The component is not available for inspection upon request, as the failed headlamp assembly is currently still installed on the vehicle. Safety Risk: The sudden loss of the DRL severely reduces the vehicle's forward visibility (conspicuity) to oncoming traffic and pedestrians during daytime, overcast, and low-light conditions. This defect directly compromises federally mandated lighting safety standards, significantly increasing the risk of a front-end or intersection collision because other motorists cannot see the vehicle approaching. Confirmation and Inspection: The problem has been confirmed by a Land Rover dealership. The vehicle and component have been inspected by the manufacturer. The dealership technician confirmed the internal module burned out and stated the only remedy is a full headlamp replacement. Prior Symptoms and Warning Lamps: There were absolutely no warning lamps, error messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. The DRL went completely dark without warning on July 30, 2026 at approximately 41,476 miles.

NHTSA ID

11757376

Incident

Jul 30, 2026

The DRL a safety feature fails on the Defender L663 models 20-23 and LR will not fix. I have 40k miles on my 22. They want $3200 for a headlight but to me its a safety offering for daytime running lamps. Looks how many reporting it.

NHTSA ID

11757349

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

Left front running light is not working. This type of issue prevents car from passing a State inspection. Issue is a halo DRLs failed. Issue is due to a failed LED module. The repair for this $40 module by the dealer is around $2,400. There were no warning lamps, messages or symptoms. A Police officer stopped me in a parking lot and pointed it out. It is not an infraction since it was daylight. However, car will not pass an inspection.

NHTSA ID

11756967

Incident

Jul 31, 2026

1) Exhaust Manifold Studs are loosening and/or breaking on I6 engine causing potential CO2 exposure to passengers in the cabin and/or engine bay fire risk. 2) Potentailly yes via CO2. 3) Yes - out of factory warranty therefore had independent service center replace all studs 4) No 5) Not in my case but others on JLR Automotive Forums have heard rattling noises and found broken bolts that fell onto the skid plate directly below engine. *) In attached images below the final picture is of the repaired studs

NHTSA ID

11756476

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

My vehicle is losing power from the battery showing battery needs to recharge and its full charged have to turn interior lights off

NHTSA ID

11752159

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the raised air intake partially detached from the vehicle. The contact believed that the VIN should be included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E102000 (Equipment, Structure) after the failure. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall and would be an out-of-pocket expense. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

NHTSA ID

11750660

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

Mileage

35,000 mi

While driving my 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 (16,658 miles), the brake pedal suddenly went soft and sank to the floor. Braking became severely degraded and effectively useless. I was able to slow the vehicle using engine braking and bring it to a stop safely. Multiple warnings appeared simultaneously, including brake system warnings, amber ABS and DSC lamps, and a "stability control not available" message. There was no crash, fire, or injury, but the loss of braking created a serious risk to me and the surrounding traffic as I was making a left onto [XXX] against oncoming traffic on [XXX] The vehicle was not driven further and was taken to an authorized Land Rover dealership for diagnosis. The dealership's diagnostic scan confirmed DTC C055E-7A ("Brake Hydraulic Circuit A Leak – Fluid Leak or Seal Failure") logged on XXX, along with related code C055E-64. This confirms a hydraulic fluid leak or seal failure in the service brake system, consistent with the total loss of pedal pressure I experienced. The manufacturer has issued Special Service Message SSM 74988 addressing this exact DTC on this platform (Defender L663, 2020 model year onward), indicating awareness of this failure mode. There were no warning lamps or symptoms prior to the failure — it occurred suddenly with no advance indication. The vehicle and diagnostic records are available for inspection upon request. Root-cause diagnosis by the dealership is in progress; the suspected sources are a hydraulic line, caliper, seal failure, or the integrated brake unit (which combines the booster, master cylinder, ABS pump, and control module in a single assembly on this platform). A sudden hydraulic brake failure at this low mileage suggests a potential defect rather than wear. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11749625

Incident

Jul 4, 2026

Bulletin 76096 should be recall. The suspension has failed. Both Upper arms, bushings,sway bars and links and after 3 weeks, multiple attempts to correct banging, the issue is a bulletin, but yet a recall, conveniently not under warranty. Only 50,000 miles. Please press for recall. Like the DC CONVERTER -impairing vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11737916

Incident

Mar 1, 2026

Alternator & DC/DC Converter failure or DC/DC Converter failure that also led to Alternator failure. I will attach letter correspondence sent to Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.

NHTSA ID

11733829

Incident

Jan 27, 2026

On 4/2/2026, my DC to DC converter failed in my 2022 Landrover Defender (owned 3 months, purchased pre-owned from dealer), which short-circuited both my 12V battery and my telemetric safety battery (location services, and emergency calls). The vehicle lost all power, completely malfunctioned electrically losing ability to accelerate, power steering, and everything went dark in the vehicle while driving on a highway. I immediately tried to get it to the shoulder but it lost momentum and stopped in the lane, with cars and semis coming around a blind corner at speed. It was a harrowing experience, the car started to roll backwards (on a slight incline, as it was a mountain pass) and a semi truck had to assist in stopping the vehicle by skillfully, using his trailer to stop the vehicle. This created body damage to the entire side of my vehicle. The car then locked up completely, wheels were locked and tow truck had to drag it with a chain up on the bed. My son and I could have been killed, as traffic was coming around the bend at 60-65 mph and we were completely stopped and started rolling back towards the oncoming traffic. Several others could have been injured as my vehicle could have cause a major traffic collision. The issue has been reported to Jaguar Landrover customer service, reported to the dealership I bought the vehicle from and to the dealership who told me that it could help to drive the vehicle to charge the battery. The dealer where I towed the vehicle confirmed it was the DC to DC converter failure, confirmed that it fried or short-circuited both batteries which then caused the car to lose all power. The failure was confirmed by certified mechanics, and approved by an inspector for the extended warranty and repairs were made. There was an electrical fault warning on screen. One dealer told me to drive it to charge battery. This vehicle should be recalled to avoid safety issues.

NHTSA ID

11731110

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

The LED DRLs failed in the first 28000 miles leaving no DRLs. Researching this issues shows it it a known defect but not considered a safety issue. I disagree as visibility is greatly diminished without the lights. Numerous online complaints and LRJ reuses to compensate owners out of warranty.

NHTSA ID

11729202

Incident

Mar 16, 2026

I believe there is an issue with the DC to DC converter. Had an incident when the vehicle was idling for at 30 mins while cleaning snow in driveway after a storm. I received an warning battery low. As thought this was odd I turned it off. waited a few hours returned and the warning was gone. I had JLR dealer look at the issue. I was told the main battery was faulty and replaced, this was in end of DEC 2025. Then weeks later [around Jan 18th 2026] when it was really cold out and driving to JFK airport. while in route i received an very generic electrical system fault warning. As i was leaving 1 of the terminals at JFK. on the exit ramp of the terminal I had complete electrical failure was lucky enough to be able to be able to pull to shoulder, but was coasting about 1-2 mph, and stop. It took 3 attempts to restart the vehicle, when it started normally and all electrical was acting normal. if this happened while on the highway it would have caused an accident and i believe injuries. i will say the hazard warning lights were still working. I have also been noticing that the digital dashboard display brightness will fade in and out anytime of the day and weather randomly. Today this happened and received a low coolant warning and a tire low warning at the same time. I check the coolant level and it is normal. I check the tire pressures and they are normal.

NHTSA ID

11724030

Incident

Mar 13, 2026

The vehicle lost power after a warning that the battery was not recharging. I have a portable jump start battery. Tried to jump start it -- the battery would not hold a charge once cables disconnected. Had the vehicle towed to the dealer. I was told this is a DC-to-DC converter problem that is widespread across Defenders 20222-present. parts are unavailable.Being stuck in a vehicle with no power, absolutely dead, is scary and would have been a major problem if the electrics had gone out while driving.

NHTSA ID

11722124

Incident

Feb 4, 2026

While driving on a busy road. My car gave a message saying electrical failure and transmission failure. Within 20 seconds shut the car down before I could safely pull over and it was unable to start. Hazard lights didn’t work and I was stuck in the middle of the road until a tow truck came. The dealer diagnosed the problem as a failure of the dc to dc converter. It has been replaced but took two weeks to repair

NHTSA ID

11721964

Incident

Dec 9, 2025

Daytime running lights has failed on the front headlights and follows pattern similar to known Special Service Message 75479. This reduces safety due to lower visibility since the DRLs should operate during normal driving conditions. I have reached out to the dealer and the Land Rover Corporate, both of which refuse to fix the issue unless I pay for parts and labor (est cost $5000+). This issue is dangerous since there is no indication on the dashboard or other warning unless the headlights are manually inspected while the vehicle is operating.

NHTSA ID

11721527

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

The vehicle experienced an electrical issue regarding a DC/DC converter that went bad after the manufacturer software update. The vehicle displayed warnings that the vehicle needed to come to a stop and that the electrical system, in regards to the safety systems were not functioning. This includes the airbag systems, charging systems, and SOS systems.

NHTSA ID

11720676

Incident

Jan 30, 2026

The DC converter on our 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 failed. We received some electrical fault notices that would come and go inconsistently a few days before the incident. Land Rover told us to drive the car to the dealer to get repaired, even when we asked whether that was safe. On the way to the dealer, the car completely turned off in the middle of traffic and became a brick and had to be towed in negative degree weather to the dealer where it has sat for a month today. The car shutdown/lost control on Rt 1 in Massachusetts and was fortunately able to steer off the road into a parking lot before it became a brick in the middle of a parking lot, not in a spot or anything. The dealer expects this is a DC converter problem but the car is a complete brick and cannot turn on or be moved around at the dealer until the part arrives. We've been told the part is on back order for months and there is no timeline for when it will be repaired.

NHTSA ID

11720634

Incident

Jan 28, 2026

DC -DC power converter part # LR131043. My vehicle is unusable due to the failure of this part. I have not been able to use my vehicle for over a month and the part is still on indefinite back order.

NHTSA ID

11719811

Incident

Jan 26, 2026

DC to DC Converter failed, rendering vehicle dead. No parts available to repair. Forced to wait for months.

NHTSA ID

11717048

Incident

Jan 14, 2026

DC to DC converter failure that displays a RED warning indicator that says "Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected" with a red battery indicator symbol displayed simultaneously. I called the dealer as this is the 3rd time I have experienced similar electrical issues that have left me stranded since my purchase of this truck new Jan '22. The dealer brushed me off the first time telling me I didn't drive the vehicle enough, 2nd time they replaced the battery, now they said they had a bulletin (1 month prior) from Land Rover of known DC-DC converter failure with no ETA for parts. I was told by the dealer the steering could lock up and/or the vehicle could have brake failure. I had it towed 1 hour to the dealer. There are 10 other vehicle sitting at this one dealer awaiting the same part replacement and they never notified me of this issue when they were aware of the safety concerns a month prior to my 3rd incident. This is a now known nationwide issue with Defenders and I have a claim in for it to be covered under the factory warranty since my factory warranty had just expired 9 days prior especially given my prior record of electrical issues with this particular vehicle. This is still not resolved and it has been at the dealer for 18 days as it is not safe to drive and still awaits a part with no estimated time for repair.

NHTSA ID

11716451

Incident

Jan 20, 2026

Electrical fault detected - pull over safely error message appeared while driving, and when vehicle was shut off, low battery warning appeared. Started vehicle and attempted to put in drive and failed with drivetrain error, then suspension error and power steering error. Replaced 12V battery next morning and still received electrical fault error. Towed to dealer and diagnosed with DC-DC converter failure.

NHTSA ID

11715778

Incident

Jan 30, 2026

8/25/2023 18,118 miles, vehicle purchased. Warranty 48 months or 50,000 miles. Factory warranty remaining 31 months or 31,905 miles. 1/8/2024 26,536 miles, L Headlight failure, electric door lock malfunction, air suspension failure. Headlight = warranty replacement. Service Department = no solution, diagnostic code or replication of electric lock or suspension issue. 3/26/2024 30,285 miles, R Headlight failure, Low Battery notification. Tested Battery- passed. Headlight- warranty replacement. 4/30/2024 32,175 miles, Low Battery notification. Tested Battery- failed. Battery replacement and battery reset module = warranty replacement. 11/7/20205 58,812 miles, Turbo Coolant O rings failed- mechanical. Service writer advised this is common for these engines in the V6 defender models. Repair estimate $642.77. Dealership - provided good faith discount. Customer agreed to and paid a negotiated repair totaling $377.30. Despite all repairs, electrical warnings continued off and on with Low Battery notifications, that would appear and disappear. 1/31/2026 (62,105 mi), electrical issue, Low Battery notification, then “STOP SAFELY – ELECTRICAL FAULT DETECTED” notification. Caused vehicle failuer & shut down. Required towing. "STOP SAFELY – ELECTRICAL FAULT DETECTED" notification – electronic fault affects: Power delivery, Steering, Braking, Stability systems. Dealership Diagnosed fault code P0D33-11, failed DC/DC converter and batteries. Replacement Cost +$2,467.38. DC/DC Convertor OEM Parts are on national backorder. 1-2 months lead time. QTY 15 units waiting. Low battery warnings & P0D33-11 code are related. Weak 12V battery = stress the DC/DC converter, fault codes, conversely, a failing DC/DC prevent the 12V battery charging. These repeated low-battery warnings and electrical failures are directly related to DC/DC converter failure and represent an ongoing electrical defect that originated during the warranty period, not normal wear and tear.

NHTSA ID

11715326

Incident

Jan 31, 2026

On January 25, 2026, while driving my 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 in Colorado on Interstate 70, the vehicle suddenly and completely lost power with no warning. There were no dashboard alerts, warning lights, or messages prior to the failure. The vehicle abruptly became disabled while traveling at highway speed, creating an immediate and serious risk of a crash, severe injury, or death to myself and other motorists. I was extremely fortunate to be able to safely maneuver the vehicle out of traffic and exit the highway. Given traffic conditions on I-70, this failure could easily have resulted in a major accident. The vehicle was undrivable and had to be towed to Flatirons Land Rover in Colorado on January 25, 2026. On January 26, 2026, after I had to repeatedly follow up with the dealership, I was informed that the failure was caused by a defective component related to the battery/electrical system. Although the repair is covered under warranty, the required part is on backorder, and I was advised the vehicle will be out of service for approximately six weeks. The dealership stated they cannot provide a loaner vehicle, leaving me without transportation. They said the dcdc converter and I don not understand and they did not explain well A sudden loss of power without warning at highway speeds represents a serious safety defect that puts drivers and the public at risk. I am concerned this defect may affect other vehicles and could lead to serious injuries or fatalities if not addressed.

NHTSA ID

11714786

Incident

Jan 25, 2026