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Land Rover Defender VIN Check

NHTSA holds 59 owner complaints on the Land Rover Defender from 47 production runs; the worst run has 4, the typical one 1.3.

NHTSA complaint records · 59 complaints · 47 runs · 1993–2026 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

The most-reported Defender run is SALEK7EX8L2 (2020 builds) with 4 complaints, 3.1× the typical run. Exterior lighting problems make up 28% of reports; NHTSA lists 21 recall campaigns for Defender model years 1993–2026.

Which build runs owners report most

A production run is the first 11 characters of the VIN: plant, model year, body and engine. The Land Rover Defender has 47 of them on record. The five runs at the top of this table hold 22% of every Defender complaint on file.

FIG.01·Land Rover Defender — complaints by production run
Production run (VIN 1–11)YearComplaintsInvolved a crashFire
SALEK7EX8L2••••••20204——
SALEXEEU4L2••••••20203——
SALE97EU9L2••••••20202—1
SALEJ7EX1L2••••••20202——
SALEP7EU3L2••••••20202——
SALE97EUXL2••••••20202——
SALE9EEU6L2••••••20202——
SALE97EU0L2••••••20202——
SALEP7EU0L2••••••202021—
SALDV2282SA••••••19951—1
SALEPEEU8L2••••••20201——
SALDV3249VA••••••19971——
ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records, grouped by VIN prefix

Each of the other 35 Defender runs has 1 complaint or fewer. ForCar has checked 186 Defender VINs so far, most often 2023, 2024, 2026 builds; 3 of them belong to one of the 12 runs above.

Which model years to check twice

Complaints per production run, so a year that simply sold more does not top the list.

FIG.02·Land Rover Defender — complaint rate by model year
YearPer runComplaintsRunsCrashes
20201.355431
ROWS 1·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Heaviest year here is 2020 at 1.3 complaints per run; lightest is 2020 at 1.3.

What to inspect on this car

One system accounts for 28% of everything Land Rover Defender owners report: Exterior Lighting, 19 of 59 complaints. Start the pre-purchase inspection there.

FIG.03·Land Rover Defender — most-reported systems
SystemComplaintsInvolved a crashFire
Exterior Lighting19——
Electrical System13—1
Engine9—1
Steering8—1
Visibility/wiper6——
Structure5——
Service Brakes51—
Unknown Or Other4——
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Recalls to check against your VIN

NHTSA has 21 recall campaigns on the Land Rover Defender; the 6 below cover build years 2020 to 2026. These are for the model and year; whether one is still open on a given car, only that VIN can tell.

FIG.04·Land Rover Defender — recall campaigns
CampaignComponentModel years
26V389000Air Bags:frontal2020–2026
24E102000Equipment2020–2025
26V599000Electrical System:propulsion System:dc/dc Converter2020–2024
26V248000Electrical System:propulsion System:dc/dc Converter2020–2024
23V044000Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:oil/lubrication2020–2023
21V435000Exterior Lighting:tail Lights2020–2022
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

26V389000 was opened in 2026 on cars built from 2020: 6 years on the road before the recall.

The Defender against its rivals

The Defender draws 1.3 complaints per production run; the Genesis GV80 2.1 and the Jeep Wagoneer S 2.9. That is the lowest rate of the 3.

FIG.05·Land Rover Defender VIN check vs rivals
ModelComplaintsRunsPer runInvolved a crash
Land Rover Defender59471.31.7%
Genesis GV80185902.15.4%
Jeep Wagoneer S80282.91.3%
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

How serious were they

Of the 59 reports on the Land Rover Defender, 1.7% involved a crash against 5.8% across all vehicles, below the norm.

FIG.06·Land Rover Defender — complaint severity
OutcomeLand Rover DefenderAll vehicles
Complaints filed591,115,966
Involved a crash1 (1.7%)64,194 (5.8%)
Involved a fire3 (5.1%)26,974 (2.4%)
Injuries reported158,013
Deaths reported02,728
ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Crash-related reports run 71% below the all-vehicle rate.

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How this check works

The file behind this page holds 1,115,966 complaints filed with NHTSA between 1981 and 2026, across 298,921 production runs. The Land Rover Defender share of that is 59 complaints over 47 runs, 0.01% of everything on record.

Everything on the Land Rover Defender
Recalls53 campaignsFuel economy20 mpg bestReliability4.0/5Common problems58 complaintsDimensionsSize, weight, generationsUsed prices653 listingsWhat yours is worthValue by year & mileageInsurance costEstimated per yearWindow stickerOriginal Monroney labelDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout this car1993–2026

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a Land Rover Defender VIN for free?

Enter the 17 characters above. ForCar matches the first eleven, the production run, against 59 NHTSA complaints from 47 Defender runs and 21 recall campaigns. No account, no card.

Which Defender production run has the most complaints?

SALEK7EX8L2, a 2020 build, with 4 complaints. The typical Defender run has 1.3.

Does the Defender get more complaints than the Genesis GV80?

No: 1.3 complaints per production run for the Defender against 2.1 for the Genesis GV80.

How many Defender complaints involve a crash?

1.7% of 59 reports, against 5.8% across all vehicles; 3 involved a fire.

Complaint and recall records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Per-run rates computed by ForCar. Federal data covers safety only — title, odometer and insurance history are not included. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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