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2023 Land Rover Defender 130
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
75 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Electrical system problems dominate (49% of complaints).
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2023 Land Rover Defender 130, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (37) · Visibility & wipers (13) · Engine (12) · Steering (7)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Electrical system
49%37 complaints · 33 in the last 2 years
“The contact owns a 2023 Land Rover Defender. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System) however the parts were un…”
Visibility & wipers
17%13 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“Windshield cracked for no apparent reason. No rock chip. Crack at upper middle of the windshield and goes towards driver side about 16 inches long.”
Engine
16%12 complaints · 10 in the last 2 years
“The DC/DC converter failed and caused the vehicle to immediately lose all power at a main intersection. My wife was driving the vehicle when this happened with out two…”
Steering
9%7 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“Steering wheel is locked and does not turn the wheels”
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2023 Land Rover DEFENDER 130 beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2023? See how every Defender 130 model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.