2023 Land Rover Defender: common problems and reliability

The 2023 Land Rover Defender has 225 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 0 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are electrical system and visibility/wiper. Owners most often flag major mechanical failures (engine replacement, supercharger/battery failure, coolant leaks with piston-cooling jet failure) – very frequent.

Safety record for the 2023 model year

225
Owner complaints
0
Recalls
0
Crash reports
0
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2023 Land Rover Defender vehicles (US, public record).

Is 2023 a good year for the Defender?

Across the 7 Defender model years we track, complaint volume runs from 1 (1999) to 225 (2023). With 225 complaints, the 2023 Defender sits abovethe model's median of 63.

These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.

Where owners report problems

electrical system
111
visibility/wiper
39
engine
36
steering
21
power train
18

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,…

  • Modern Defender (Post-2019):
  • Major mechanical failures (engine replacement, supercharger/battery failure, coolant leaks with piston-cooling jet failure) – very frequent.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Defender. See the full Defender owner picture and every model year.

Typical used price

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

Other Defender model years

Compare every Defender year side by side to see how 2023 ranks against the rest.

Compare the Defender against its rivals