2021 Land Rover Defender: common problems and reliability

The 2021 Land Rover Defender has 66 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 0 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are visibility/wiper and exterior lighting. Owners most often flag *modern defender (post-2019):.

Safety record for the 2021 model year

66
Owner complaints
0
Recalls
0
Crash reports
0
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2021 Land Rover Defender vehicles (US, public record).

Where owners report problems

visibility/wiper
24
exterior lighting
20
electrical system
6
structure
4
fuel system
2

What owners say across generations

Sentiment is sharply divided by generation. For the classic, pre-2016 Defender (including Td5, TDI, and Puma models), owner sentiment is overwhelmingly positive among enthusiasts, characterized by deep affection for its rugged, utilitarian character, legendary

  • *Modern Defender (Post-2019):
  • Major mechanical failures (engine replacement, supercharger/battery failure, coolant leaks with piston-cooling jet failure) – very frequent.
  • Electronic/infotainment glitches (Apple CarPlay randomly dropping) – recurrent.
  • "Restricted Performance" warning messages – recurrent.
  • Poor real-world fuel economy (e.g., 16.19 MPG average reported) – isolated.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Defender.

Typical used price

Used Defender listings typically run $45,734–$84,216 across 2020 to 2026 model years.

Other Defender model years

2024 Defender2023 Defender2022 Defender2020 Defender
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