2020 LAND ROVER Defender Problems & Complaints

The Daytime Running Lights (DRL) stopped working. The biggest hazard of DRL failure in a 2020 Defender is reduced daytime visibility to other drivers, which increases accident risk, especially in marginal light conditions. Also, in the Defender, DRLs are LED-based and integrated into the front lighting assembly. A failure could point to wiring, control module, or fuse issues. If ignored, these could eventually affect other lighting systems. The issue has been reported to JLR and I will be taking the car to the dealer for formal diagnostics and report.

Mileage at time of failure: ~27,500 miles The signature LED headlamp assembly on my 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 X has experienced a failure of the integrated Daytime Running Light (DRL) module. The DRL has gone completely dark and is no longer functioning. This failure occurred shortly after the expiration of the factory warranty and affects a key visibility and safety feature of the vehicle. The only available repair, according to the dealership, is full replacement of the headlamp assembly at a cost of over $3,000. The DRL cannot be serviced independently. This is an unreasonable cost for a low-mileage vehicle and a safety-critical component. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting 2020–2022 Defender models, with numerous reports online from other owners citing identical DRL failures. This suggests a systemic design or quality defect in the headlamp assembly. A DRL failure undermines the vehicle’s visibility to other drivers and reduces safety during daylight driving. Given the high cost of repair and the frequency of reported failures, I believe this defect warrants investigation and potential recall action.

The LED daytime running light failed on my vehicle and the dealer needed to replace the entire headlight unit. The manufacturer wanted to charge $2,500 for the replacement. There must be something faulty in the design of these headlights as out of 156 people I surveyed with Defenders, I’ve heard of 55 who have had this same issue, 7 who have had their daytime running light and headlight fail, 87 who have not had the daytime running light issue yet, and 7 respondents do not have the LED headlights and have not had their daytime running issue. This seems to be a manufacturer defect.

The daytime running lights which also dim the overall lights at night, also known as the halo LED light continues to malfuction. I bought this car (2) years ago and I'm now on the second set up LED running lights. There are numerous other reports of this malfunctioning across owners. multiple online forums. this overall poses a large saftey hazard as the light is very dim at night from it not running, also including the daytime light casuing saftey issues for other cars.

This is a 2020 Land Rover Defender 110. The daytime running lights on the headlamp need replaced. I had replaced the passenger side a few months ago at the Land Rover dealership while the car was still under warranty at 49,500 miles. Now, the Land Rover has 55k miles and the driver side has gone out and the Land Rover Dealer has quoted me 3K to fix this. This is a common problem and many owners with the years 2020-2023 are experiencing the same problem. This should not be happening with LED lights with such low mileage on the Defenders. This is a safety issue and this model should be recalled. Yes, the dealer has confirmed the problem with the daytime running light on the headlamp. There were no warning lamps or messages with this failure.

2020 Land Rover Defender with air intake snorkel was detached from the vehicle driving down the highway during a windy day. I see that Land Rover has recalled the snorkel for 2023 and 2024 models for that very reason. The recall should include 2020 models as well! I've noticed that there are many Land Rover Defender owners talking about this same issue online.

Driver's side A Pillar trim came loose at 75 mph on freeway and blew off the side of the car. Also pulled out mounting bolt for A Pillar Trim.

My front windshield cracked to the point of requiring replacement with neither notice nor reasonable cause (no impact, no crack starting point, besides the bottom edge, no temperature gradients, no pressure applied to the windshield).

ON THE 2020 LAND ROVER DEFENDER, A KNOWN PROBLEM IS A RATTLING SOUND OF THE PASSENGER SIDE A-PILLAR. LAND ROVER POSTED A BULLETIN ON HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE AND I BROUGHT IT FOR A FIX IN NOVEMBER, BUT THE SOUND PERSISTED. YESTERDAY WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THERE WERE HEAVY CROSS WINDS AND THE A-PILLAR FLEW OFF THE VEHICLE INTO TRAFFIC BUT DID NOT HIT ANYONE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE ENGINEERS NEED TO FIX THIS.

ON AUGUST 3RD, WHILE DRIVING WEST-SOUTHWEST AT APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH ON INTERSTATE 90 IN MONTANA, THE A-PILLAR COVER BECAME LOOSE AND THE SMALL COVER AT THE BASE OF THE A PILLAR FLEW FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE MOVING. THE TWO REMAINING PIECES REMAINED ON THE VEHICLE, ONE PIECE BARELY HELD ON BY A SCREW AT THE BASE, THE OTHER HELD ON WITH ABOUT 50% OF THE ADHESIVE STILL INTACT. BOTH WOULD HAVE FLOWN OFF HAD WE NOT IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND REMOVED EACH WITH THE TOOLS I HAD IN THE CAR (PERSONAL TOOLS I HAPPENED TO HAVE WITH ME). THE TWO PIECES THAT REMAINED ON THE CAR WERE APPROXIMATELY 26 INCHES LONG, ONE 5 INCHES WIDE, THE OTHER 3 INCHES WIDE. THE EVENT STARTLED MY WIFE BUT COULD HAVE REALLY IMPACTED A CAR BEHIND US HAD THE TWO PIECES COME OFF. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, I HEARD A LOT OF 'FLUTTERING' NOISE COMING FROM THE A AND / OR B PILLARS. BEING THAT IT WAS A NEW VEHICLE I DID NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT (ASSUMED IT WAS PART OF NATURAL ROAD NOISE). I WAS PLANNING ADDRESSING IT WITH THE DEALER UPON MY RETURN FROM MY TRIP. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 3.5K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A SAFETY RISK TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER PASSENGER CARS AROUND THE VEHICLE IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN. IT APPEARS THAT THE DESIGN ALLOWS AIR TO GET UNDER THE A PILLAR COVER WHICH CREATES VIBRATION AND ULTIMATELY BREAKS IT LOOSE FROM THE PIECE UNDERNEATH ATTACHED BY ADHESIVE.

My 2020 Defender has had three incidences of the windshield cracking due to the smallest pebble. The first two cracks, I had professionally sealed. The latest incident involved a pebble so small that I couldn't see it. In fact, the pebble was so tiny that a point of contact on the windshield can barely be observed. However, it caused the windshield to crack clear across the middle, impairing visibility and creating an unsafe driving experience. This is, I believe, the seventh Land Rover windshield that I have had the misfortune to have crack on me over the years. One Range Rover windshield cracked while sitting in the driveway with no projectiles involved. Another cracked in cooler overnight weather. These windshields are clearly defective and Land Rover is aware of the problem. This is why the dealership offers a very pricey windshield package as an option when you purchase the vehicle. I have called Land Rover corporate again in this instance because I'm fed up with paying $1800 to repair a defective bit of glass, only to have another crack appear and be forced to repair or replace that as well. Land Rover Corporate said that a pebble constituted "outside damage" and the windshield would not be covered under warranty. However, a driver does purchase a car under the presumption that the glass would be safe if struck by a tiny object or if taken through a car wash--as occurred with my previous Range Rover. Taken together, I do request that this consumer safety board review this issue as I know for a fact that I am not the only one concerned about the safety and reliability of the Land Rover windshields. Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Driving along the road with no cars around, the windshield made a loud noise and a crack was formed coming from the passenger side A-pillar. The crack of course grew over time. No rock chip. Clearly a defective windshield. The dealer would not replace it under warranty even though it clearly started where a rock could not have chipped it..

My windshield cracked with no apparent strike with under 5K miles on the vehicle. Researching this, LOTS of people experience broken windshields on Defenders and Land Rover products. There are lots of discussion in online owners' forums about the frequency of this and some notion that JLR uses glass that is thinner than other manufacturers.

I WAS AT A RED LIGHT AND COULD NOT TURN ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DURING A RAINSTORM. I TOOK A VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT BUT IT IS TOO LARGE TO UPLOAD TO YOUR WEBSITE

This happenedtwice after the most recent update(os 3.0). When i turned on my vehicle and engaged drive, power steering was disabled and/or locked. Im not sure which it was, but steering the vehicle was not possible, for several seconds, until it resolved itself.

Steering wheel locked and I was unable to drive the car. Tried to start and restart but the steering wheel is locked and a safety hazard for me.

WHILE DRIVING ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE'S LANE KEEP ASSIST FEATURE WHICH WAS TURNED OFF (THE DEFAULT POSITION) ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT OR WARNING AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN AND ABRUPTLY MOVED THE VEHICLE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THIS REQUIRED THE DRIVER TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO FORCE THE VEHICLE TO REMAIN STRAIGHT. A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE WAS REQUIRED TO OVERRIDE THE AUTOMATIC STEERING ACTION.

While using the heated steering wheel function on my 2020 Land Rover Defender, the steering wheel began to overheat significantly after being turned on for a short time. The surface temperature became so hot that it burned and discolored the leather, releasing a strong burnt smell. This overheating poses a serious fire hazard and could easily burn the driver’s hands during operation. This issue compromises driver safety because the steering wheel is an essential control part of the vehicle. If the driver’s hand is burned or the leather catches fire, it could result in loss of control of the vehicle. There were no warning messages or lights before or during the incident. The problem has occurred multiple times and can be reproduced when the heated steering wheel function is activated. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I believe this is a critical safety defect that should not occur under normal operation and could potentially affect other vehicles of the same model.

My car does not fall under the VINs specified in recall N599 but is exhibiting the same unsafe conditions. At a rolling stop in traffic the car asks me to manually select a gear (while in Drive) and then shuts off the engine. The engine then will not restart and I am in unsafe conditions in intersections. I have brought the car to the dealership several times to resolve this and it continues to worsen. It has become a daily event and is now back at the delaership where they have told me it is not affected by this recall but clearly exhibits the same issue as described in that recall. This is a MAJOR SAFETY issue! The car shuts off without warning and wont restart. This is engine electrical system and transmission related. It drains the battery and leaves the car inoperable

The rear backup camera is foggy and it is not possible to see clearly while backing up. It is foggy in any weather condition, during the daylight, and at night. There are halos around lights at night in addition to the general fogginess.

2 windshields cracked within a 2 month period. Second windshield cracked about 45 days after installation with no evidence of any impact causing it. One morning I came out to my vehicle and there was a 6-8 inch crack starting at the bottom of the windshield. Have driven the same roads for 30 years and have never had issues with windshields and now 2 in a couple of months.

Windshield cracking for no reason Many occurrences in owners forum. Class action lawsuit filed. Manfature doing nothing. Windshields need to be redesigned .

Large clunking sound with shuddering of the vehicle during a turn at low speeds. Inspection revealed cracked transfer case and differential damage which could lead to loss of control of vehicle. Had part repaired at Land Rover, again malfunctioned after 1000 miles with shuddering and "skipping" of rear tires during turns. Aware of two other malfunctions of transfer case with instability during turns.

255/60R20

Engine light came on while at a stop light, engine faltered completely and car stalled. Would not restart. Shifted car into Park and tried multiple times to restart, finally got it restarted. Rolled forward per the flow of traffic and engine died again in the middle of the intersection putting me directly in harm’s way. Multiple lights including engine light and dash warnings appeared. Pictures attached. This is a major safety issue, the car died and I could not move it forward. I was almost hit and could not get the car restarted, not once but twice. I have owned the car for less than one week, and it’s been back in the shop now twice. The first time ( Wednesday) was also for electrical issues, including sensor issues.

Hello! My 2020 P400 Defender is repeatedly not restarting itself at stoplights when the standard auto start/stop functionality engages. Upon removing my foot from the brake pedal to begin moving, what normally happens is thst the engine restarts itself and I drive off as normal. However, at least once or twice a day now, the car does not restart itself, the instrument cluster turns off, and I look down in the car has put itself into Park. I am stopped in traffic etc. This is a somewhat significant fault in my opinion - because it has now happened at busy intersections, highway on ramps, and other places where you do not want people aggressively honking or worse hitting you from behind if they are distracted. I thought perhaps I just needed a software update or something, but my car is confirmed to be on the newest Land Rover software systems for everything in the car. I have not taken it to the dealer for this problem yet (no appts avail) but will be taking it in later this month. The reason I decided to submit this to you is that I went on a Defender group on Facebook, and there are many posts on there with other people in the United States having the exact same problem. With both P300 and P400 engines in Defenders. So I believe this may be a fault with software or hardware (and not just an isolated issue with my Defender… which by the way is my favorite car I’ve ever owned!) — that needs to be rectified with some sense of urgency with Land Rover. Also, my novice testing of why and when this is happening has concluded one workaround that I believe prevents the issue: if I press the button on the dash to turn off the auto start/stop, this problem does not occur. However, the car defaults to auto start/stop being on at each ignition cycle - so that would need to be something that users would need to remember to do each time they started the car.

I was driving at a speed of 66 miles when the engine died, the cluster showed a red triangle and showed an alarm setting message. Steering wheel vibrate and I could not moved. This event last around 3 seconds and the alarm disappeared and the engine came back.

The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that the lane departure feature would intermittently fail to operate as needed without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle would independently deviate in the opposite direction as intended. The contact also stated that the lane deviation feature could be turned off; however, the feature was reactivated upon restart of the vehicle. The dealer had been made aware of the failure on multiple occasions and the contact was informed that there was no remedy for the failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two mailboxes but the vehicle kept driving down a curved road onto the left lane. The brakes had failed to engage. The contact did not receive medical attention on the scene but later went to the hospital for injuries sustained. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard then towed to a body shop where it remained. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred after receiving the vehicle back from the dealer. The vehicle was originally taken to the dealer for the emergency brakes, lane departure, emergency steering, traction control warning lights, and cracked windshield. However, the dealer could not replicate the failure and only the lane departure software was updated and the windshield was replaced but not calibrated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,434.

TOTAL BRAKE AND STEERING LOSS AT 60MPH ..I CAN SEND YOU THE SCREEN SHOTS TOMORROW/ NOVEMBER 23RD (PROM THE PHOTOS TAKEN ON MY SON'S PHONE OF THE DASHBOARD NOTICE...PLUS A VIRTUAL GHOST-LIKE ABRUPT TAKE OVER OF LANE ASSISTANCE DESPITE MY HAVING TURNED THAT OFF!

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT HIGH SPEEDS ON AN INTERSTATE, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATED. BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER THE AIR CONDITIONER I'LL PROBABLY BEGIN TO STOP WORKING. FOLLOWING THIS, A SERIES OF MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER. FOLLOWING THIS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACTIVATE WHATSOEVER. ALL POWER WAS LOST. I COULD NOT SHIFT GEAR. THE CAR REQUIRED A TOW TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP.

WHILE DRIVING OUR ONE-MONTH OLD RANGE ROVER DEFENDER 110SE, THE BRAKES FAILED WITH NO WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP (PATRICK JAGUAR & LAND ROVER OF NAPERVILLE IL) WAS NON-RESPONSIVE TO MY REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION WHEN CALLED FROM ROADSIDE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE FLAT-BEDDED FROM SCENE. IT WAS TERRIFYING NOT TO HAVE BRAKING ABILITY.