Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender is a five-seat SUV powered by a 2.3-litre six-cylinder petrol engine combined with electric assistance, producing 244 kW of power. It measures 4,761 mm in length with a kerb weight of 2,549 kg, achieving a top speed of 203 km/h and emitting 164 g/km of CO₂. In Norway, new registrations totalled 151 units between 2020 and 2022, with registrations peaking at 96 in 2021 before declining to 39 in 2022.
| Manufacturer | Land Rover |
|---|---|
| Body type | SUV |
| Fuel | Diesel |
| Engine power | 204 kW (274 hp) |
| CO₂ (WLTP) | 201 g/km |
| Kerb weight | 2,562 kg |
| Displacement | 2,279 cc |
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Top speed | 196 km/h |
| Drivetrain | All-wheel drive |
| Fuel economy (comb.) | 14 l/100 km |
| Model years (US) | 1994–2026 |
| Length | 4,727 mm |
|---|---|
| Width | 1,989 mm |
| Height | 1,923 mm |
| Seats | 6 |
| Doors | 5 |
Engine power, CO₂ and kerb weight are registration-weighted averages across the 30 European countries that registered the Land Rover Defender in 2025 (23,584 cars). Source: EEA CO₂ monitoring (CC BY 4.0).
New registrations in Norway
Number of Land Rover Defender registered for the first time in Norway per year.
Source: EEA CO₂ monitoring (CC BY 4.0).
New registrations by country (2025)
Number of Land Rover Defender cars registered for the first time across 30 European countries in 2025.
| Country | Registrations |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 12,607 |
| Germany | 3,814 |
| Italy | 1,825 |
| Spain | 980 |
| Netherlands | 806 |
| Belgium | 553 |
| Poland | 387 |
| Czechia | 337 |
| Austria | 313 |
| France | 237 |
| Iceland | 235 |
| Slovakia | 233 |
| Luxembourg | 185 |
| Ireland | 155 |
| Sweden | 131 |
Source: EEA CO₂ monitoring (CC BY 4.0), 2025 data.
Engine variants
Different engine versions of the Land Rover Defender (from registration data). 11 variants.
| Engine | Fuel | Transmission | Top speed | Economy | Model year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 l · 4-cyl | – | – | 197 km/h | – | – |
| 2.2 l · 4-cyl | – | – | 145 km/h | – | – |
| 2.3 l · 4-cyl | – | – | 185 km/h | – | – |
| 2.4 l · 4-cyl | – | – | 130 km/h | – | – |
| 2.5 l · 5-cyl | – | – | 129 km/h | – | – |
| 2.5 l · 4-cyl | – | – | 131 km/h | – | – |
| 3.0 l · 6-cyl | – | – | 196 km/h | – | – |
| 4.0 l · 8-cyl | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4.4 l · 8-cyl | – | – | 246 km/h | – | – |
| 5.0 l · 8-cyl | – | – | 239 km/h | – | – |
| 6.2 l · 8-cyl | – | – | 130 km/h | – | – |
Source: RDW (NL). European engine variants.
Generations
Other Land Rover models
Similar SUV models
Common problems & reliability
US owners have filed 50 complaints for the Land Rover Defender, most often about exterior lighting, electrical system, engine, steering. These are owner-reported issues, useful for spotting recurring weaknesses before you buy. In the UK, 73% of Land Rover Defenders pass their MOT test first time, based on 102,536 inspections in 2023. (2023 is the most recent annual release published by the DfT.)
Based on real owner complaints and inspection data — not an editorial rating. Sources: NHTSA (US, public domain), DVSA MOT (UK, Open Government Licence).
Recalls & safety
12 recalls recorded in the EU Safety Gate (European market) and 10 in the US-market NHTSA database for the Land Rover Defender. Recalls can flag known weaknesses of the model.
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (Germany)
The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2026-07-31
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (Germany)
The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2026-05-01
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (United Kingdom)
A defect with the brake flexible hose can cause chafing and loss of brake fluid. This may lead to reduced braking power.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2017-07-14
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (France)
The product does not comply with the requirements laid down in the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2021-09-24
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (France)
The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2022-09-02
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (France)
The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2022-10-21
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (France)
The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2023-06-30
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (Poland)
The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2023-04-28
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (Germany)
Excessively brittle bolts were installed in certain fittings used for the front and rear wheel hub assemblies. There is consequently a risk of the bolts breaking which could lead to other components being damaged. This could result in the front brake disc breaking or could undermine the stability of the vehicle during braking.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2016-02-26
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (Germany)
The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2025-07-25
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (Germany)
The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2025-04-11
- Passenger carEU · Safety Gate (France)
The product does not comply with the requirements laid down in the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
EU Safety Gate · alerted 2021-10-15
- SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERSUS · NHTSAModel year 2026
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2026 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The third-row lower seat belt anchorage bracket may have an insufficient weld stud.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the third-row lower seat belt anchorage bracket or the weld-stud on the bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 19, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's numbers for this recall are D098 and D113.
NHTSA campaign 26V163000 · reported 18/03/2026
- FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLYUS · NHTSAModel year 2026
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2026 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The fuel tank was improperly manufactured with walls that are too thin.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 19, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D127.
NHTSA campaign 26V263000 · reported 23/04/2026
- AIR BAGS:FRONTALUS · NHTSAModel year 2026
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 connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.
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, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.
NHTSA campaign 26V389000 · reported 12/06/2026
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATIONUS · NHTSAModel year 2020
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Range Rover Sport, 2020-2023 Range Rover, Defender, 2022-2023 Discovery, and 2023 Range Rover Velar vehicles. The engine cam carrier oil channel may be blocked, which can lead to an oil leak.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine cam carrier and related components as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N763.
NHTSA campaign 23V044000 · reported 02/02/2023
- EQUIPMENTUS · NHTSAModel year 2020
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 VPLEP0543. The raised air intake may not be secured properly, which can allow the intake to detach from the vehicle.
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 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N964.
NHTSA campaign 24E102000 · reported 06/12/2024
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTSUS · NHTSAModel year 2020
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 shining on the rear of the vehicle, can cause the turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights to fail.
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 number for this recall is N598.
NHTSA campaign 21V435000 · reported 08/06/2021
- AIR BAGS:FRONTALUS · NHTSAModel year 2020
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 connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.
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, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.
NHTSA campaign 26V389000 · reported 12/06/2026
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTERUS · NHTSAModel year 2020
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery, 2020-2023 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover, 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Jaguar F-Pace, and 2021-2022 Jaguar E-Pace mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs.) The DC-DC converter can fail due to an internal fault in the boost control microchip. A failure of the DC-DC converter will result in a loss of 12-Volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall is currently under development. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's numbers for this recall are D126 and H575.
NHTSA campaign 26V248000 · reported 17/04/2026
- EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUALUS · NHTSAModel year 2020
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 LATCH child seat restraints with top tethers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
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 customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N601.
NHTSA campaign 21V584000 · reported 29/07/2021
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)US · NHTSAModel year 2020Over-the-air fix
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 switch off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in an engine stall with no warning.
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 letters were mailed July 28, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N599.
NHTSA campaign 21V424000 · reported 03/06/2021
Sources: EU Safety Gate (European market) and NHTSA (US market). See all Land Rover recalls.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the top speed of the Land Rover Defender?
- The Land Rover Defender has a rated top speed of 196 km/h.
- How much power does the Land Rover Defender have?
- The Land Rover Defender produces 204 kW (274 hp).
- What are the dimensions of the Land Rover Defender?
- The Land Rover Defender is 4,727 mm long, 1,989 mm wide and 1,923 mm tall.
- How much does the Land Rover Defender weigh?
- The Land Rover Defender has a kerb weight of about 2,562 kg.
- What are the CO2 emissions of the Land Rover Defender?
- The Land Rover Defender emits 201 g/km of CO2 (WLTP).
- How many seats does the Land Rover Defender have?
- The Land Rover Defender has 6 seats.