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Land Rover DefenderModel year report

2021 Land Rover Defender Problems

Compared with other Land Rover Defender years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

26/100 0.6× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
42filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
35,000miles, 3 complaints with mileage
Recalls
9campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl 4WD · 18 city / 21 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2021 Land Rover Defender (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 42 consumer complaints for the 2021 Land Rover Defender. The part named most often is exterior lighting, with 16 complaints (38% of the total), followed by visibility (13) and electrical system (5). 3 of the complaints include a mileage, and 67% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 35,000 miles. NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns and 514 technical service bulletins for this model year. Exterior lighting complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign and 10 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Visibility complaints overlap with 9 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Compared with the other 3 Land Rover Defender model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 26 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Suspension (1).

Example complaints

Exterior lighting: “Ever since I purchased my Defender back in 2021, the instrument cluster automatically dims. Usually when at dusk or dawn, the cluster dims so much, it is impossible to read with sunglasses, and very poorly lit without sunglasses. I have the dimmer switch set to the brightest setting, but it still automatically dims despite being set to the brightest.”

NHTSA complaint #11552072, filed 2023-10

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “Bought a used 2021 defender with 5k miles and at 12k miles my windshield while driving makes a huge popping sound and i look to see that it cracked right down the middle, startling me while driving at night. There was ABSOLUTELY nothing that hit the windshield. It was a clear night driving with no other drivers on the road nor anything above me that could have fallen out of the sky. Land rover wouldn't take responsibility had to pay 2k out of pocket to fix this at 12k miles only having the car 2 months.”

NHTSA complaint #11508583, filed 2023-02

Electrical system: “On or about August 7 or 8, my wife was driving our vehicle when it suddenly stalled and stopped running. Prior to this incident, we received a warning that the battery was low and that the vehicle needed to be started immediately. On August 9, I replaced the battery. That same day, we contacted the dealership where we purchased the vehicle and reported the issue. We were advised not to drive the car and instead have it towed to the dealership for inspection. In researching the problem, I found information about recall N599, which involves vehicles of this model year suddenly stalling. …”

NHTSA complaint #11682718, filed 2025-08

Other or unknown: “Windshield has hairline and becomes 2 differnt hairlines after a small peeble hit it Now on my 3rd windshield it happened again another hailine crack that keeps growing Land rover does not want to be responsible”

NHTSA complaint #11497834, filed 2022-12

Mileage when problems were reported

67% of the 3 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 1,500 and 68,000 miles.

33%0–100%10–2533%25–5033%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (3 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 35,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

20212022202320242025202612
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2021 Land Rover Defender version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Defender 110 4WD2.0L 4-cyl8-speed automatic172018$4,550
Defender 90 4WD2.0L 4-cyl8-speed automatic182119$4,350
Defender 110 MHEV 4WD3.0L 6-cyl · hybrid8-speed automatic172219$4,350
Defender 90 MHEV 4WD3.0L 6-cyl · hybrid8-speed automatic172219$4,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 9 recalls for the 2021 Land Rover Defender → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 514 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 514 bulletins →

Other model years of the Land Rover Defender

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20266—3—16—Too new
202513—1—16—Too new
20242718,2507—19Too new to compareToo new
20238650,5009—1848 · TypicalToo new
20227621,5006—1860 · TypicalStable
20214235,0009—1926 · FewerRising
2020582,0417—1951 · TypicalFalling

All Land Rover Defender model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2021 Land Rover Defender have?

NHTSA recorded 42 consumer complaints for the 2021 Land Rover Defender as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2021 Land Rover Defender is reported most often?

Exterior lighting is named most often, in 16 complaints (38% of the total), followed by visibility with 13.

Has the 2021 Land Rover Defender been recalled?

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2021 Land Rover Defender get?

The EPA rates the 2021 Land Rover Defender (Defender 90, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 18 city and 21 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2021 Land Rover Defender reported?

Among the 3 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 35,000 miles and the middle half falls between 1,500 and 68,000 miles; 67% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.