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Exterior lightingPart report

2021 Land Rover Defender Exterior lighting Problems

Complaints
16about this part
Share
38%of 42 total for the year
Median mileage
—not reported
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 16 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2021 Land Rover Defender, 38% of the 42 complaints for this model year. 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.

“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

“Headlamps are faulty. Replaced the drivers side at almost the end of the 49k miles and after about another 900 miles, the passenger side went out. There is a defect with these lights and they’re back ordered through the UK. Police have told me that I have a headlight out and there is nothing I can do about this.”

NHTSA complaint #11553672, filed 2023-11

“The signature halo LED ring on the front headlight stopped working and has now failed completely, impairing headlight performance. Land Rover previously replaced one of these units when under warranty, but now refuse to fix the second one unless privately paid for (I am now out of warranty). This is a known and common issue and is clearly a safety concern and a consequence of a Land Rover design flaw. In my opinion, this should be a safety recall.”

NHTSA complaint #11766706, filed 2026-09

“Headlight DRL Failure - it's safety issue. this is known issue with defenders but when I contacted local dealer in Atlanta area, they refused to replace it without me paying $3200.”

NHTSA complaint #11734105, filed 2026-04

“The passenger side headlight is malfunctioning. The halo and outer bulbs do not come on which disables the daylight running lights and reduces the effectiveness of the headlight at night. There is no warning light or message indicating the failure. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer’s dealer and they confirmed that the headlight is faulty. I feel like this issue should be repaired by the manufacturer and at their expense. My research has shown that this is a common issue in this vehicle and is reason for a recall.”

NHTSA complaint #11558558, filed 2023-12

Related recalls

Exterior lighting: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026117%
202427%
20231011%
20221418%
20211638%
20202136%

Other parts of the 2021 Land Rover Defender

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
13 complaints
Electrical system
5 complaints
Other or unknown
4 complaints
Body and structure
3 complaints
Back-over prevention (rear camera)
1 complaints
Engine
1 complaints
Fuel system
1 complaints
Lane departure
1 complaints
Steering
1 complaints
Suspension
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2021 Land Rover Defender

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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