2021 Land Rover Defender
Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2021 Land Rover Defender is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 189 on record.
2021 Land Rover Defender at a glance
Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.
2021 Land Rover Defender recalls 10
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 pow…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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.
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…
Fix: 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 thi…
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Land Rover Defender vehicles equipped with Raised Air Intake (RAI) aftermarket accessory equipment, with part number VPLEP0543. The raised air intake may not be secured properly, which can allow the intake to detach from the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, remove and reinstall the RAI accessory, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed February 20, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N964.
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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
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."
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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 Ro…
Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 12 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.
2021 Land Rover Defender MPG & running costs
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 4 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.
Estimated 5-year cost to own
A rough guide to what running a 2021 Land Rover Defender costs over five years and 75,000 miles.
How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.
Dimensions & weight
Manufacturer-reported figures for the 2021 Land Rover Defender — ranges cover the 3 body / drivetrain versions on record. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.
Investigations & service bulletins
Manufacturer service bulletins 514
Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 514.
Accessory Wheel Arch Protection - Gaps Present Between Protection And Vehicle Body
Bulletin SSM76493 - 25SEP26 · Structure · Sep 2026TCU Activation Failure And InControl App Inoperative After Software Update
Bulletin SSM76492 - 20AUG26 · Aug 2026Air Conditioning Inoperative / Intermittent Operation
Bulletin SSM76487 - 20AUG26 · Aug 2026Intermittent Passive Entry Operation 24MY Or With New Service Smart Key Fob.
Bulletin SSM76477 - 21JUL26 · Jul 2026Exhaust System Oxygen (O2) Sensors - Extended Warranty
Bulletin E002 - 20JUL26 · Jul 2026A low-speed ‘clonk’ type noise from the rear driveline, audible during low speed throttle inputs, often coupled with up/down gear changes. The noise is audible during normal road driving conditions.
Bulletin SSM76324 - 06JUL26 · Jul 2026Software Over The Air (SOTA) updates are failing to complete. Specifically Vehicle Domain Controller (VDC) PIVI and Gateway Module A (GWM). These vehicles have now been stopped from further SOTA attempts and require a wired intervention.
Bulletin N869 Defender 16JUN26 · Jun 2026Software Over The Air (SOTA) updates are failing to complete. Specifically Vehicle Domain Controller (VDC) PIVI and Gateway Module A (GWM). These vehicles have now been stopped from further SOTA attempts and require a wired intervention.
Bulletin N869 Defender 15MAY26 · May 2026Door Zone Module - Quiescent Drain
Bulletin N811 Defender 15MAY26 · Electrical System · May 2026The transfer case clutch and / or All Wheel Drive (AWD) lock cannot perform as designed. This may show as a reduction in torque to the front axle during driving or as an inability to apply the AWD lock.
Bulletin D006 Defender 15MAY26 · May 2026Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the DEFENDER L663 90 4WD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.
Canadian recalls 9
Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 2021 Land Rover Defender. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.
High Voltage
Issue: On certain vehicles, the DC/DC converter could fail. As a result, the 12 V battery would not charge and a red "Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected" warning message would be displayed. If this happens, and you continue to drive the vehicle, there could be a loss of power to the wheels and/or the vehicle's lights could turn off. Note: This recall is an expansion of Trans…
Transport Canada #2026442 · Sep 2026Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the connector for the driver-front airbag in the steering wheel could corrode. As a result, the driver-front airbag may not inflate in a crash. Note: This problem would cause the airbag warning light to turn on. Safety Risk: An airbag that doesn't work properly could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Land Rover will notify o…
Transport Canada #2026292 · Jun 2026High Voltage
Issue: On certain vehicles, the DC/DC converter could fail. As a result, the 12 V battery would not charge and a red "Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected" warning message would be displayed. If this happens, and you continue to drive the vehicle, there could be a loss of power to the wheels and/or the vehicle's lights could turn off. Note: This recall only affects certain mil…
Transport Canada #2026196 · Apr 2026Accessories
Issue: This recall is for raised air intakes installed on new vehicles or sold as a dealer accessory. On certain vehicles, the raised air intake may not have been attached properly. As a result, the raised air intake could loosen and detach while driving. Safety Risk: A raised air intake that detaches from the vehicle could create a road hazard for others and increase the risk…
Transport Canada #2024739 · Dec 2024Engine
Issue: This recall is for certain replacement engines. The oil filter housing may not have been manufactured properly. Over time, the housing could crack and cause oil to leak onto hot components in the engine compartment. Safety Risk: Oil that leaks onto hot components can create the risk of a fire. Additionally, an oil leak could create a hazard for others and increase the ri…
Transport Canada #2024599 · Oct 2024Seats And Restraints
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger seat belt assemblies may contain defective automatic locking retractors (ALR). As a result, the seat belts may not properly lock to secure a child seat. Note: The vehicle's lower universal anchorage system (UAS) is not affected by this defect and may still be used to secure a child seat. Safety Risk: A seat belt that is used to secure a…
Transport Canada #2021533 · Aug 2021Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.
About the Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender is a series of British off-road cars and pickup trucks. They have four-wheel drive, and were developed in the 1980s from the Land Rover series which was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show in April 1948. Following the 1989 introduction of the Land Rover Discovery, "Land Rover" became the name of a broader marque, no longer the name of a specific model; thus, in 1990, Land Rover renamed them Defender 90, Defender 110 and Defender 130 respectively.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.
2021 Land Rover Defender vehicles on record
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