2023 Land Rover Defender Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 13about this part
- Share
- 15%of 87 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 13 complaints about the engine of the 2023 Land Rover Defender, 15% of the 87 complaints for this model year.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While driving the vehicle warnings alerted me that the battery was low and to start the vehicle ( it was running as I was driving) then the alert changed to pull over when possible. At this time the power steering and power brakes started to fail by the time I pulled into a parking lot the vehicle completely died and I had to push it into a parking spot. I called Land Rover they towed it to a dealership. …”
NHTSA complaint #11715474, filed 2026-02“we had a coolant leak like the one reported on recall N785, I called the Land Rover USA office and they said that they only have a voluntary recall for this problem and I need to pay for them to fix it. It's not faire that they refuse to fix something that is happening in the same car and model but different engine type. They know they need to recall all the Defenders. What you can do to protect us?”
NHTSA complaint #11707096, filed 2025-12“When stopped at stoplight engine gear slips to neutral without warning. When applying gas it becomes apparent it’s no longer in drive. Has happened 8 plus times and I’ve had this new car less than 2weeks. Reported to dealer who tells me 2 other customers have reported this as well. No one is sure why it happens.”
NHTSA complaint #11473927, filed 2022-07“I own a 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 that I purchased brand new. Since buying it, it has been back to the dealer many times for serious issues. The vehicle has had repeated cooling system failures, including replacement of all upper coolant hoses. Most recently it was at the dealer for coolant loss / no coolant, and the dealer diagnosed failed O-rings going into the turbo and repaired it. I was told this is a common issue but there has been no recall. …”
NHTSA complaint #11714705, filed 2026-01“My car died on December 14, 2025 when I was pulling out of my driveway. It read “stop safely electrical fault detected.” And then shut down and would not turn on. Then it said “battery low. Please start engine.” But the car would not start. I had to get it towed to the dealer. They told me it was a the DC converter or the epic module. They said this is a company wide issue with the 2023 defenders and they do not have the part in stock and that it is on back order. Right now they are stating that the part may be in in mid February. …”
NHTSA complaint #11709828, filed 2026-01Related service bulletins
- 11038337Sep 18, 2026Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
- 11038301Sep 18, 2026Coolant Bypass Hose Leak
- 11037132Aug 21, 2026Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
- 11035861Jul 17, 2026Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
- 11035856Jul 17, 2026Coolant Bypass Hose Leak
- 11034875Jun 16, 2026Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
- 11033342May 15, 2026Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
- 11033241May 1, 2026Arduous customer drive cycles have been found to accelerate the degradation of engine oil, leading to generation of engine oil sludge deposits in high pressure engine oil…
- 11032407Apr 17, 2026Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak
- 11032376Apr 17, 2026Engine coolant may leak from the coolant bypass hose assembly. The leakage is in the form of a weep, but forms into a more substantial leak over time.
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2023 Land Rover Defender
42 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
14 complaintsExterior lighting
10 complaintsSteering
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsLane departure
6 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsForward collision avoidance
2 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsInterior lighting
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2023 Land Rover Defender
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 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