Recalls
9campaigns
3 electrical · 1 air bag · 1 engine
Source: NHTSA
Complaints
42filed
Owner reports, 2001–2026 shown
Source: NHTSA ODI
Fuel economy
19mpg combined
$3,437/yr at this week's prices
Source: EPA · EIA
Specs
3 L 6-cyl· 8-speed automatic
4 engine and transmission configurations
Source: NHTSA vPIC
Recalls (9)
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2021 Land Rover Defender. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
Loss of Drive Power from DC-DC Converter Failure
Electrical system · propulsion system · dc/dc converter
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar, Jaguar E-Pace, F-Pace, and Land Rover Discovery vehicles. The DC-DC converter may malfunction due to an electrical overload that can occur during high power demand. Additionally, a software error can cause the DC-DC converter to stop functioning at vehicle start-up under certain circumstances. Failure of the DC-DC converter will result in the loss of 12-Volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.
- Consequence
- A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is E008. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V248.
Repair progress not yet reported23,677 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 26V599000
Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
Driver's Air Bag May Not Deploy in a Crash
Air bags · frontal
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2026 Discovery, and 2022-2026 Range Rover vehicles. The driver’s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.
- Consequence
- An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driver’s air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 3, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.
Repair progress not yet reported250,857 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 26V389000
Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
Loss of Drive Power from DC-DC Converter Failure
Electrical system · propulsion system · dc/dc converter
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery, 2020-2023 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover, 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Jaguar F-Pace, and 2021-2022 Jaguar E-Pace mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs). Insufficient electrical load balancing during times of high demand can lead to a current overload condition and malfunction of the DCDC converter. A failure of the DC-DC converter will result in a loss of 12-Volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.
- Consequence
- A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the central software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's numbers for this recall are D126 and H575.
Repair progress not yet reported170,169 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 26V248000
Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
Engine Cam Carrier May Leak Oil
Engine and engine cooling · engine · oil/lubrication
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Range Rover Sport, 2020-2023 Range Rover, Defender, 2022-2023 Discovery, and 2023 Range Rover Velar vehicles. The engine cam carrier oil channel may be blocked, which can lead to an oil leak.
- Consequence
- An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the engine cam carrier and related components as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N763.
98.4% repairedof 6,724 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 23V044000
Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
Seat Belt Automatic Locking Retractor Malfunction
Seat belts · front · retractor
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021 Range Rover, 2022 Range Rover Sport, 2020-2021 Range Rover Velar, Discovery Sport, 2020-2022 Discovery, and Defender vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly.
- Consequence
- An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed October 20, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N630.
91.7% repairedof 32,687 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V668000
Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
Incorrect Child Restraint Information/FMVSS 225
Child seat · vehicle latch anchor
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The owner's manual incorrectly states that the third-row seating is equipped with LATCH child seat restraints with top tethers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
- Consequence
- Incorrect child restraint information may result in a child seat being improperly secured, which can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Land Rover will mail owners the correct information to insert into the owner's manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 23, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N601.
99.9% repairedof 7,027 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V584000
Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
Deformed Front Seat Track Bracket
Seats
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021 Defender 90 vehicles equipped with manually-adjustable front seats. The front seat track end-stop bracket may become deformed, which could prevent the seat from locking into place.
- Consequence
- A seat that is not properly locked into place can move unintentionally during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front seat tracks, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 28, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N609.
89.6% repairedof 603 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V499000
Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
Rear Taillight Assembly May Fail
Exterior lighting · brake lights
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Defender X vehicles equipped with smoked rear light assemblies. A voltage spike, triggered by a bright light shining on the rear of the vehicle, can cause the turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights to fail.
- Consequence
- Turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights that fail to illuminate can reduce visibility to other drivers and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear light assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 27, 2021. Owners can contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N598.
97.5% repairedof 2,622 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V435000
Listed for 2021 Land Rover Defender. Not checked against your VIN.
PCM May Switch Off and Cause Engine Stall
Electrical system · software
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Land Rover Defender vehicles equipped with 6-cylinder engines. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) may unexpectedly switch off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in an engine stall with no warning.
- Consequence
- An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The Connected Diagnostic Services (CDS) and the Over-the-air (OTA) diagnostics functionality will be disabled, either by a dealer or through an OTA update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 28, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N599.
96.9% repairedof 163 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V424000
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (42)
42 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The exterior lighting is mentioned most often.
0involved a crash
0involved a fire
0injuries reported
0deaths reported
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 42 |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 16 | 38.1% |
| Visibility/wiper | 12 | 28.6% |
| Electrical system | 5 | 11.9% |
| Unknown or other | 4 | 9.5% |
| Structure | 3 | 7.1% |
| Back over prevention | 1 | 2.4% |
| Engine | 1 | 2.4% |
| Fuel system | 1 | 2.4% |
| Lane departure | 1 | 2.4% |
| Steering | 1 | 2.4% |
How 2021 compares with other Defender years
Best and worst Defender years →20011
20023
20031
202055
202142
202275
202382
202425
202513
20266
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | 3 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 55 | 7 |
| 2021 | 42 | 9 |
| 2022 | 75 | 6 |
| 2023 | 82 | 9 |
| 2024 | 25 | 7 |
| 2025 | 13 | 1 |
| 2026 | 6 | 3 |
This year (2021)Other yearsStill collecting reports
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 19 mpg combined
19
mpg combined
17
city
22
highway
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $4,350
- CO₂ tailpipe
- 462 g/mi
- EPA class
- Standard Sport Utility Vehicle
What it costs you to run
$3,437per year
$286per month
789gallons a year
Miles ÷ 19 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.
EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.
Specs by configuration
| Engine · transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | EPA $/yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 L 6-cyl · 8-speed automatic | 4-Wheel Drive | 17 / 22 / 19 | $4,350 | 462 |
| 3 L 6-cyl · 8-speed automatic | 4-Wheel Drive | 17 / 22 / 19 | $4,350 | 462 |
| 2 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic | 4-Wheel Drive | 18 / 21 / 19 | $4,350 | 466 |
| 2 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic | 4-Wheel Drive | 17 / 20 / 18 | $4,550 | 492 |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2021 Defender for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2021 Land Rover Defender FAQ
How many recalls does the 2021 Land Rover Defender have?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns: 26V599000 (electrical), 26V389000 (air bag), 26V248000 (electrical), 23V044000 (engine), 21V668000 (seat belt), 21V584000 (latch), 21V499000 (seat), 21V435000 (brake), 21V424000 (electrical). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2021 Land Rover Defender problems?
Owners filed 42 complaints with NHTSA. Exterior lighting (16), Visibility/wiper (12), Electrical system (5) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2021 Land Rover Defender get?
EPA rates the 3 L 6-cyl · 8-speed automatic version at 17 city, 22 highway and 19 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.
How does the 2021 Defender compare with other years?
Among the 2001–2021 Land Rover Defender model years at least five years old, the 2001 drew the fewest complaints (1) and the 2020 the most (55). The 2021 drew 42. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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