2024 Land Rover Defender

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1 complaint stating that a rear row seat belt became detached in a model year (MY) 2024 Land Rover Defender.Photos of the seat belt received with the complaint show that the stitching of the webbing of the seat belt appears to have not been properly formed. An improperly stitched seat belt can become detached during a collision. Detachment of the seat belt increases the risk and severity of injury in a collision. This is especially concerning for children and children in child seats. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues. To review the ODI report cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

The contact owns a 2024 Land Rover Defender. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System). The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11759455

Incident

Aug 25, 2026

On August 14, 2026, at approximately 12:15 p.m., I arrived at Land Rover Mission Viejo for a scheduled appointment to complete Safety Recall D120, Driver's Airbag Potential Non-Deployment. No service attendant greeted or checked me in. When I approached an attendant, the attendant said they could not help because they were going to lunch. An employee attempted to obtain assistance from others; one said they were too busy, and another said, "I can't rescue everybody." I waited in the reception area, but no one assisted me and no manager or supervisor was available. I left without the recall repair being performed. The driver's-airbag safety defect remains unrepaired, leaving the vehicle with a potential non-deployment risk.

NHTSA ID

11757007

Incident

Aug 14, 2026

Vehicle: 2024 Land Rover Defender, VIN [XXX] Related recall: NHTSA campaign 26V248 (JLR internal D126 / H575) This complaint concerns the unavailability of a remedy for a defect that can cause complete loss of drive power while the vehicle is in motion. Timeline: - April 17, 2026: Jaguar Land Rover North America filed Part 573 report for campaign 26V248, covering 170,169 mild-hybrid vehicles including 53,644 2020-2024 Defenders. JLR's filing describes the defect as an internal fault in the boost control microchip of the DC-DC converter, and states that failure results in loss of 12-volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting. - June 20, 2026: I received an interim owner letter. The letter confirms the defect and the safety risk. It states no remedy is available and that additional correspondence will follow at an unspecified date. - August 11, 2026: No remedy is available. No estimated remedy date has been communicated to me. Approximately four months have elapsed since the Part 573 filing and approximately two months since owner notification. Issue one - the interim notification does not address safe operation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11756154

Incident

Jun 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(N), with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle lost motive power. The contact swerved to the shoulder, and an object struck the windshield, causing the windshield to crack. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

NHTSA ID

11753957

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

Mileage

32,000 mi

The recent DCDC converter recall has left me feeling unsafe driving my Defender on anything except the slowest local roads. It's an extremely frustrating inconvenience, especially during this summer season with plans for road trips and travels being put on hold or cancelled due to not having a safe vehicle. Also, the JLR dealership is not offering loaner vehicles because the recall remedy is not available yet. There is no timeline for when the remedy will be developed, which is the cherry on top. That means I have to pay out of pocket, indefinitely, for a rental car on top of paying the car note for the Defender. Did I mention that JLR "conveniently" waited almost 60 days from the time they submitted the recall notice to NHTSA to send out the interim letters? They put me and over 150,000 other drivers at risk for nearly two months because they decided to take their time in mailing the letters out (I received mine on June 17th). This removes all confidence I would have had in their ability to develop the fix in a timely manner.

NHTSA ID

11747068

Incident

Jun 17, 2026

The manufacturer became aware of this issue approximately six months ago. At this time, no repair is available. I am driving to a remote location without consistent phone service and the manufacturer and dealer will not offer a loaner vehicle. I believe that Land Rover should offer a trade in for a new vehicle without this issue.

NHTSA ID

11744695

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

Went through 4 windshields in just over 2 years of ownership, cracks repeatedly from minor stone impacts, presents safety risk for visibility while driving or risk of shattering after cracking from minor impact. Clearly is a manufacturing defect as is reported for multiple owners of Defenders since 2020.

NHTSA ID

11742698

Incident

Apr 15, 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle appears to have experienced a failure or malfunction involving the electrical power system, charging system, 12 volt battery system, vehicle communication modules, or related components. Based on the recent Land Rover recall I found online, I am concerned that the DC to DC converter or related charging system may be involved, because the reported recall issue involves loss of 12 volt charging and potential loss of drive power. The vehicle is currently with Jaguar Land Rover Houston Central and should be available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has not been returned to me, and the dealer has indicated that the vehicle was not communicating with their diagnostic computer and was not initially showing fault codes because the modules were not communicating. They have told me that my car is not part of the recall. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the SUV experienced a complete shutdown while I was driving on two separate occasions. The first event occurred Thursday afternoon at approximately 4:32 PM while I was driving on Highway 610. The vehicle suddenly lost power while in motion. I was able to glide off the highway and park on the side of the road, but this could have caused a crash or created a serious hazard because it occurred on a major roadway. The second event occurred Friday morning around 7:20 AM while I was driving on South Rice Avenue to take my daughter to school. The vehicle shut off again and left me stranded. Multiple people attempted to jump start the vehicle, including the tow truck driver, but the vehicle could not be restarted or shifted into neutral. The vehicle remained disabled and required towing. Because the shutdown happened while driving and the vehicle could not be restarted or moved normally afterward, this created a significant risk of co

NHTSA ID

11736364

Incident

Apr 23, 2026

Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak

Quality defect may be present on the Stitching of the Rear Seatbelt Assembly.

Air Conditioning Inoperative / Intermittent Operation

TCU Activation Failure And InControl App Inoperative After Software Update

Seat belt stitching concern

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