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KLUNK
KLUNK

2020 Land rover Defender

The Verdict

88 Smooth Ride

The 2020 Land rover Defender has 48 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (20 complaints) and body (18 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 88/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating.

This is the cleanest year on record. Nice pick.

88

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Recalls 5

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

26V389000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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 con...

Risk

An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driver’s air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed August 7, ...

Reported Dec 6, 2026

21V584000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

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 LAT...

Risk

Incorrect child restraint information may result in a child seat being improperly secured, which can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

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 ...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

24E102000 EQUIPMENT

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...

Risk

A detached raised air intake can fall off the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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 1-80...

Reported Jun 12, 2024

21V435000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

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 shinin...

Risk

Turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights that fail to illuminate can reduce visibility to other drivers and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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 numbe...

Reported Aug 6, 2021

21V424000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

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...

Risk

An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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 lette...

Reported Mar 6, 2021

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20201822071

By Category

Electrical
20
Body
18
Engine
7
Brakes
2
Transmission
1

By Severity

1
25
2
21
4
2

Worst Problems

Complaints

Electrical 2

I own a 2020 Land Rover Defender and have experienced a failure of the LED halo ring/daytime running light within the headlight assembly. The LED ring stopped functioning even though the headlight assembly has not been damaged, modified, or involved in any accident. This failure affects the vehicle's visibility and appearance and may create a safety concern because the daytime running light is no longer operating as intended. I contacted the dealership regarding the issue, but I was informed that the repair is not covered under warranty, despite similar LED halo and DRL failures being reported by other Defender owners. I am requesting that this issue be investigated, as it appears to be a defect in the headlight assembly rather than normal wear and tear.

25d ago
Electrical 1

Daytime running lights on my car gave out. This has been an issue with 2020+ Defenders as the LED module burns out overtime due to a lack of sufficient cooling. Land Rover quoted over 5000 dollars for headlight replacements just for a simple LED bulb. This needs to be addressed.

25d ago
Electrical 2

The driver-side headlight assembly failed unexpectedly on my 2020 Land Rover Defender 110. This appears to be a known and recurring issue with this vehicle model involving the headlight or related electrical/control system. The failed component and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. The failure significantly reduced nighttime visibility and made the vehicle less visible to oncoming traffic and other drivers. Operating the vehicle with only one functioning headlight created a hazardous driving condition, especially during nighttime driving, adverse weather, and on poorly lit roads. This increased the risk of an accident for myself, passengers, and other motorists. The issue was reproduced and/or confirmed by the dealership/service center after inspection. The failure appears consistent with similar complaints reported by other Defender owners regarding headlight malfunction issues. The vehicle/component has been inspected by the dealership/service center. No inspection has been conducted by police or insurance representatives at this time. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure.

2mo ago
Electrical 2

While I was driving, the vehicle shut down unexpectedly. I was sliding sideways across the road on ice on the side of a cliff and luckily was able to stop the vehicle before going off the side of the mountain. I had to entirely restart the vehicle to begin driving again.

2mo ago
Engine 2

I am reporting a systemic failure of exhaust manifold retaining bolts on the 2020 Land Rover Defender (L663, P400 engine). While removing the engine skid plate, I discovered a fractured exhaust manifold bolt that had fallen down. The bolt head had separated, leaving the threaded portion in the cylinder head. There are I believe 12 manifold bolts securing the integrated exhaust manifold/turbocharger assembly, & multiple owners have documented similar failures, including cases with multiple broken bolts on one vehicle. The exhaust manifold is integrated with the turbocharger and is part of the emissions control pathway. This assembly operates at extremely high temps. Based on the pattern of failures, repeated thermal cycling and inadequate fastener material appear to cause bolt fatigue and fracture. When bolts break, proper clamping force is lost and hot exhaust gases escape directly into the engine compartment rather than remaining sealed within the manifold/turbo assembly. This presents serious safety concerns: Fire risk: Escaping exhaust gases from a turbocharged engine can exceed 1,000°F. These gases are released near wiring, plastic components, insulation, and other materials. Loss of sealing increases the risk of localized overheating and engine compartment fire. Exhaust gas intrusion: Exhaust leaks at the manifold can allow exhaust gases to enter the passenger compartment. Emissions defect: As this leak occurs upstream of emissions control components, unmetered exhaust gases escape before entering the emissions system, affecting federally regulated emissions compliance. This costs thousands to fix and owners are going to ignore it due to cost & unawareness. Multiple vehicles across varying mileages have experienced this issue, suggesting a systemic design or material defect rather than normal wear. Exhaust manifold fasteners should not fracture under normal operating conditions on a vehicle with 30,000 miles.

4mo ago
Body 1

We have had our vehicle for 3 years and had to replace our windshield twice from random cracks starting from the exterior windshield where it meets the body of the care. It has happened on its own, twice, which impact from any object. The cost of the windshield, as installed is over $2000 each time, and it is repeated occurrence with owners.

5mo ago
Electrical 1

The DC to DC converter for the Hybrid 48v Electrical system has failed. This puts the vehicle at risk of a fire. The part is backordered for a significant amount of time, and there are many others in this situation.

5mo ago
Engine 1

The DC/DC converter is failing on the vehicles regularly. This results in the vehicle losing power and shutting down while driving. I own this vehicle and while it hasn’t happened yet, I constantly fear that it will. With the common knowledge and frequency of this occurrence, Land Rover should fix as a recall to ensure the safety of all customers. Please push for this. Thank you.

6mo ago
Electrical 4

While using the heated steering wheel function on my 2020 Land Rover Defender, the steering wheel began to overheat significantly after being turned on for a short time. The surface temperature became so hot that it burned and discolored the leather, releasing a strong burnt smell. This overheating poses a serious fire hazard and could easily burn the driver’s hands during operation. This issue compromises driver safety because the steering wheel is an essential control part of the vehicle. If the driver’s hand is burned or the leather catches fire, it could result in loss of control of the vehicle. There were no warning messages or lights before or during the incident. The problem has occurred multiple times and can be reproduced when the heated steering wheel function is activated. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I believe this is a critical safety defect that should not occur under normal operation and could potentially affect other vehicles of the same model.

9mo ago
Electrical 2

The Daytime Running Lights (DRL) stopped working. The biggest hazard of DRL failure in a 2020 Defender is reduced daytime visibility to other drivers, which increases accident risk, especially in marginal light conditions. Also, in the Defender, DRLs are LED-based and integrated into the front lighting assembly. A failure could point to wiring, control module, or fuse issues. If ignored, these could eventually affect other lighting systems. The issue has been reported to JLR and I will be taking the car to the dealer for formal diagnostics and report.

10mo ago
Electrical 1

Mileage at time of failure: ~27,500 miles The signature LED headlamp assembly on my 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 X has experienced a failure of the integrated Daytime Running Light (DRL) module. The DRL has gone completely dark and is no longer functioning. This failure occurred shortly after the expiration of the factory warranty and affects a key visibility and safety feature of the vehicle. The only available repair, according to the dealership, is full replacement of the headlamp assembly at a cost of over $3,000. The DRL cannot be serviced independently. This is an unreasonable cost for a low-mileage vehicle and a safety-critical component. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting 2020–2022 Defender models, with numerous reports online from other owners citing identical DRL failures. This suggests a systemic design or quality defect in the headlamp assembly. A DRL failure undermines the vehicle’s visibility to other drivers and reduces safety during daylight driving. Given the high cost of repair and the frequency of reported failures, I believe this defect warrants investigation and potential recall action.

12mo ago
Electrical 2

The LED daytime running light failed on my vehicle and the dealer needed to replace the entire headlight unit. The manufacturer wanted to charge $2,500 for the replacement. There must be something faulty in the design of these headlights as out of 156 people I surveyed with Defenders, I’ve heard of 55 who have had this same issue, 7 who have had their daytime running light and headlight fail, 87 who have not had the daytime running light issue yet, and 7 respondents do not have the LED headlights and have not had their daytime running issue. This seems to be a manufacturer defect.

12mo ago
Electrical 1

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.

13mo ago
Body 2

2020 Land Rover Defender with air intake snorkel was detached from the vehicle driving down the highway during a windy day. I see that Land Rover has recalled the snorkel for 2023 and 2024 models for that very reason. The recall should include 2020 models as well! I've noticed that there are many Land Rover Defender owners talking about this same issue online.

18mo ago
Electrical 2

This is a 2020 Land Rover Defender 110. The daytime running lights on the headlamp need replaced. I had replaced the passenger side a few months ago at the Land Rover dealership while the car was still under warranty at 49,500 miles. Now, the Land Rover has 55k miles and the driver side has gone out and the Land Rover Dealer has quoted me 3K to fix this. This is a common problem and many owners with the years 2020-2023 are experiencing the same problem. This should not be happening with LED lights with such low mileage on the Defenders. This is a safety issue and this model should be recalled. Yes, the dealer has confirmed the problem with the daytime running light on the headlamp. There were no warning lamps or messages with this failure.

20mo ago
Electrical 1

Daytime running light failure. Making vehicle difficult to see. Dealer lists and a knows issue and and flagged as a safety concern. But refuses to repair or rectify the problem. And wants to charge over $4000 for a safety item.

27mo ago
Engine 2

My car does not fall under the VINs specified in recall N599 but is exhibiting the same unsafe conditions. At a rolling stop in traffic the car asks me to manually select a gear (while in Drive) and then shuts off the engine. The engine then will not restart and I am in unsafe conditions in intersections. I have brought the car to the dealership several times to resolve this and it continues to worsen. It has become a daily event and is now back at the delaership where they have told me it is not affected by this recall but clearly exhibits the same issue as described in that recall. This is a MAJOR SAFETY issue! The car shuts off without warning and wont restart. This is engine electrical system and transmission related. It drains the battery and leaves the car inoperable

29mo ago
Body 1

The rear backup camera is foggy and it is not possible to see clearly while backing up. It is foggy in any weather condition, during the daylight, and at night. There are halos around lights at night in addition to the general fogginess.

29mo ago
Electrical 1

Daytime running lights stopped working with no warning signs or notifications, reducing visibility.. Has been confirmed by independent service center. Circuitry in headlight is known to fail causing the daytime running light to stop without warning

30mo ago
Body 1

2 windshields cracked within a 2 month period. Second windshield cracked about 45 days after installation with no evidence of any impact causing it. One morning I came out to my vehicle and there was a 6-8 inch crack starting at the bottom of the windshield. Have driven the same roads for 30 years and have never had issues with windshields and now 2 in a couple of months.

34mo ago

48 total

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