2022 Land Rover Defender Exterior lighting Problems

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

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 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

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 Daytime Running Headlights have gone out once again. This is such a common issue with the Land Rover Defenders yet, the manufactures force the customers to pay $3000 to $5000 to replace. Police will pull you over for this issue ask they think you headlight is completely out.

NHTSA ID

11705756

Incident

Dec 1, 2023

I own a 2022 Land Rover Defender and the front lights have both burned out. The issue is the running day lights burn out and the ONLY fix is to replace the entire headlight. The cost of replacing the headlight is over $3,000 and has happen to both headlight in my 3+ year old car. This is a safety issue because the running day light need to be used in order to property see the vehicle and use the turn signals. I have spoken to the dealership and looked online in Land Rover forums and this is a very common problem. I'm requesting a recall on the headlights for the Defender and also recommend that their should be a fix that does not cost over $3,000 when a simple LED has burned out. Thanks for your Athenian to this issue.

NHTSA ID

11677456

Incident

Feb 4, 2025

The headlight/daylight running lamps are known to burn out on these. Mine has burnt out and wont go back on. These are LED's where the LED is not going bad but the LED assembly is getting too hot and burning itself out. This is know issue with LandRover (they even have a special service bulletin [XXX] ) but they are not fixing the problem on vehicles but forcing customers to simply buy new headlights at their expense. Upon further review online, there are hundreds of complaints about this same issue. Land Rover is replacing if under warranty but leaving everyone else to pay approximately $5,000 for a new headlight. This is not only unsafe but irresponsible for them to not step up and make a fix of this issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11608230

Incident

Aug 12, 2024

Vehicle daytime running lights burn-out prematurely, after about a year or two. Common issue - Land Rover often will replace the entire headlight only for the lights to burn out again. This is happening so often Land Rover headlamps are months back-ordered. See this thread: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11551146

Incident

Oct 21, 2023

1. Both rear taillights extinguish when a bright light if flashed at them. The taillights will not come back on until you power cycle the vehicle. I am able to replicate this issue with a handheld flashlight. 2. At night if my taillights are not visible, then this can be hazardous to the safety of others on the road and myself. 3. I have not had an authorized repair facility inspect the issue but have read that this is an issue with other Defender models and that a recall has been issued for the clear taillights that come on the Defender X trim 4. There is nothing to alert you of the issue. I saw people report this issue in a Defender forum and decided to try it on my personal vehicle. I was able to replicate the issue

NHTSA ID

11439433

Incident

Nov 4, 2021