2020 Land Rover Defender Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 21about this part
- Share
- 36%of 58 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 155miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 21 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2020 Land Rover Defender, 36% of the 58 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 155 miles. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The cone of light projected forward by the headlights is too narrow. When turning right or left from one dark road onto another dark road, one cannot determine if it is safe to turn. The light cone is blocked by the escutcheon around the headlight, which are set inward too deep.”
NHTSA complaint #11374036, filed 2020-11, 155 miles“1. Head light escutcheon blocks light in direction of right or left turn. When turning, this leaves the corner in the dark. 2. The touch screen display is white , and too bright when driving at night. Very distracting. Should have been a black background, with white info.”
NHTSA complaint #11363062, filed 2020-10, 93 miles“Our 2020 Defender's halo light on the driver's side has become inoperable & poses a safety hazard. After researching this issue, it appears that this has been reported widely online. This malfunctioning halo light renders overall lighting very dim at night, creating a safety hazard for my vehicle & other drivers on the road. …”
NHTSA complaint #11759119, filed 2026-08“The daytime running lights which also dim the overall lights at night, also known as the halo LED light continues to malfuction. I bought this car (2) years ago and I'm now on the second set up LED running lights. There are numerous other reports of this malfunctioning across owners. multiple online forums. this overall poses a large saftey hazard as the light is very dim at night from it not running, also including the daytime light casuing saftey issues for other cars.”
NHTSA complaint #11667939, filed 2025-06“My 2020 Land Rover Defender 110X with 33,835 miles displayed a red “charging system fault detected” warning upon startup. The outside temp was approx 39F, and I have just activated the heat seat and heated steering wheel. The vehicle was stationery when the warning appeared. The battery is relatively new having been replaced in 2026. I restarted the car and it went away. Then I got 4 miles from my house and the warning came back. This appears to be a failure of the DC-DC converter assoc. w/ NHTSA safety recall 26V248, then recall 26V599. …”
NHTSA complaint #11773339, filed 2026-10Related recalls
- 21V435000Jun 8, 2021Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Defender X vehicles equipped with smoked rear light assemblies. A voltage…Covers: Land Rover Defender 2020–2022
Related service bulletins
- 10244963Oct 16, 2023There is moisture inside the headlamp lens
- 10243677Sep 22, 2023The headlamp washer jet nozzles are leaking fluid when not operating the washers
- 10243700Sep 5, 2023Front Headlamp Washer Jet Leaking / Rear Camera Washer Jet Leaking
Exterior lighting: other model years
Other parts of the 2020 Land Rover Defender
14 complaintsEngine
9 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
7 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
3 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsForward collision avoidance
1 complaintsLane departure
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2020 Land Rover Defender
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology