Home · 2020 Land Rover Defender · Complaints

What 48 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Land Rover Defender

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (48)Crash / fire / injury (2)Lights (16)Electrical system (9)Engine (7)Steering (7)Visibility & wipers (7)Body & structure (5)Brakes (3)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Backup camera & sensors (1)Lane Departure (1)

7 of 48 complaints match · Steering · clear filters

Jan 8, 2026SteeringElectrical systemEngine

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.

NHTSA ODI 11709603

Oct 10, 2025SteeringElectrical systemFire

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.

NHTSA ODI 11692533

Feb 26, 2022SteeringElectrical systemEngine

I was driving at a speed of 66 miles when the engine died, the cluster showed a red triangle and showed an alarm setting message. Steering wheel vibrate and I could not moved. This event last around 3 seconds and the alarm disappeared and the engine came back.

NHTSA ODI 11454234

Jan 9, 2022Steering

This happenedtwice after the most recent update(os 3.0). When i turned on my vehicle and engaged drive, power steering was disabled and/or locked. Im not sure which it was, but steering the vehicle was not possible, for several seconds, until it resolved itself.

NHTSA ODI 11446777

Jan 4, 2022Steering

Steering wheel locked and I was unable to drive the car. Tried to start and restart but the steering wheel is locked and a safety hazard for me.

NHTSA ODI 11446251

Nov 23, 2020SteeringBrakesEngine

TOTAL BRAKE AND STEERING LOSS AT 60MPH ..I CAN SEND YOU THE SCREEN SHOTS TOMORROW/ NOVEMBER 23RD (PROM THE PHOTOS TAKEN ON MY SON'S PHONE OF THE DASHBOARD NOTICE...PLUS A VIRTUAL GHOST-LIKE ABRUPT TAKE OVER OF LANE ASSISTANCE DESPITE MY HAVING TURNED THAT OFF!

NHTSA ODI 11375851

Sep 21, 2020Steering

WHILE DRIVING ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE'S LANE KEEP ASSIST FEATURE WHICH WAS TURNED OFF (THE DEFAULT POSITION) ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT OR WARNING AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN AND ABRUPTLY MOVED THE VEHICLE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THIS REQUIRED THE DRIVER TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO FORCE THE VEHICLE TO REMAIN STRAIGHT. A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE WAS REQUIRED TO OVERRIDE THE AUTOMATIC STEERING ACTION.

NHTSA ODI 11360178

Working with the data? Download all 48 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2020 Land Rover Defender verdict →