Hi All
Looking for a new daily for my wife. Defenders are now going to second owners, and there should be a vetted documented source via first hand accounts to easily navigate through. Purpose is to call out major/minor reoccurring issues and fixes to build transparency, and help future buyers.

Personal Context:
Currently my daily is a Lexus LC500 and hers is my 2007 Honda Accord. My friends and family are blown away that I still have it because it was my first car back that was passed down to me since new. I'm an avid sports car buyer but appreciate all cars to be an overall enthusiast.

Cars being crossed shopped:
Audi RS Q8 - RS Q8 is phenomenal, but they are plagued with water pump issues
20+ G-Wagon - "AURA" car. Handling is not what it should be due to its "off road" capability ethos.
Lexus GX550 - Overpriced with its lack luster interior and ride quality.
Genesis GV80 Prestige - Huge bang for the buck with insane tech and interior quality, but wish it had air suspension.
KIA EV9 - Unreal tech, but no idea if I want to deal with an EV just yet.
Lucid Gravity - Future best in class car. Cargo space, practicality, air suspension, amazing range.

I know these cars front, back, sideways with their pros and con, and ultimately the only car that really excites me is the Defender mainly due to its air suspension. GX550 is overpriced with its lack luster interior and ride quality. G-wagon is just a social status car that ppl deal with its small interior space and meh ride quality.

Dilemma:

Land Rover Range Rover Reliability. Their bad reliability reputation belongs on Car Mount Rushmore, but I believe the Defender is a model that could turn things around. The purpose of this thread is to have as many first hand accounts with proof vs "a friend of a friend who knows a guy whos mechanic" etc. Kia/Hyundai had this terrible reliability rep which some folks still cling on to which is no longer true on their modern day offerings.

Known Defender Issues:

Headlight Failure:https://landroverforums.com/forum/20...ng-drl-113207/
Pain point is the LED circuit board:
Fix: Replace this $25 circuit board
https://www.antparts.com/products/la...ht-drl-module/
https://www.powerfuluk.com/collectio...efender-l663-1
How to fix:
You can also use a shop that specializes in Retrofit/Projector headlight such as https://lightwerkz.net/ (Not actively trying to promote them, but they are close to my home. I bought a couple of things from then and they are top notch guys with a great facility)

A-Pillar Failure: https://landroverforums.com/forum/20...-issue-120157/
Pain Point: ??? hopefully somebody can shed light on specifically why its failing
Fix: Ppl have some success with adding some foam

Coolant leak: https://landroverforums.com/forum/20...0-p300-116876/
Pain Point: The Aux Radiator
Fix: Replace Radiator
Part Cost: Aftermarket $80 OEM $300-$400
DIY:
https://landroverforums.com/forum/20...cement-121895/
There could be other coolant points of failure but this seems to be the most common and documented

Pivi Pro Black Screen: https://landroverforums.com/forum/20...ecover-123330/
Pain Point: ??? hopefully somebody can shed light on specifically why its failing
Fix: Resolved via Software update to Pivi 4.3 or higher. There is a tech bulletin and recall for this.

Front Windshield Cracking:
Pain Point: Boxy design of the car causes the windshield to crack more frequently vs other suvs. Both the GX and G-Wagon suffer from same issue due to their boxy design as well. Potential cross shoppers join the Facebook GX550 owner groups to find plenty of first hand account regarding cracking windshields.

Rear Drivers Stuck Closed:
Fix: TSB for the fix which is as easy as putting some foam tape between the door seal and the door panel edge.


Electrical Issues:
Car could be throwing errors and 9/10 times the root cause is your 12v Battery.
Battery Location:
How to Charge:
How to Test:

For my research I need help on the engine reliability:
P300 I4
P400 I6
P500/P525 V8 - Potential Timing Chain issue. Update: Crossover pipes are no longer a problem, as JLR now use metal pipes in the Defender.


The below video should be addressed by OWNERS as it calls out a lot of pain point which unsure how fully true they are and to what extent.



POTENTIAL OCTA ISSUES:

6D Suspension:
The OCTA has the new 6D suspension that looks to be the same as the 2024 SV Sport which seems to be suffering rear Dampener issues. Shocks have been replaced in these instances
https://www.rangerovers.net/threads/...-sport.367644/

S63 Engine:
Revisions have been done to this engine, but its beyond me why they chose to put the S63 engine in the OCTA vs the S68
Things to keep on out:
https://www.bmwblog.com/2024/12/29/b...ciency-tuning/
What concerns me is Land Rover seems to already have cooling system issues and the Defender are in even more extreme conditions vs a M5.
Informative video:

You Tube

OWNERS WITH OVER 50K MILES PLEASE SHARE EXPERIENCE! Not to discount owners sub 50k miles, but every car sub 50k mile is reliable or should be.

 

Pivi "black screen" on startup no longer occurs with Pivi 4.3 or higher. There is a tech bulletin and recall for this.

 

On 110 and 130 models, the rear drivers (and sometimes passenger) side doors can get "stuck" closed.

There is a TSB for the fix which is as easy as putting some foam tape between the door seal and the door panel edge.

(Side note, my wife went from a 2005 Honda Accord to her Defender 110 and - as much as she absolutely loved her Honda, she's obsessed with her Defender. So am I, so I steal it when I can.)

 

I've had my 2021 P300 for over four years now and just hit 42k, so getting close to that 50k mark. Overall, mine has been pretty good mechanically. The two biggest issues I've had was the ECU for the fuel pump went bad not too long after I took delivery, and I did have one of the aux radiators replaced because it was hit by a ton of tiny rocks that caused it to start leaking. I've attached a list from an ownership review thread I made that includes everything fixed under warranty throughout my ownership.

- 03/2021 the ECU for the fuel pump went bad and was replaced
- 12/2021 the USB ports in the center console stopped working and were replaced
- 12/2022 the A-pillar trim was replaced per TSB# JLRTB0205NAS1
- 11/2023 the 12v battery was replaced as it couldn't keep enough charge to perform an OTA update
- 02/2024 the driver's side LED DRL went bad and headlight assembly was replaced
- 06/2024 the passenger's side LED DRL went bad and headlight assembly was replaced
- 08/2024 the center console armrest damaged and replaced, and TSB# JLRTB0276NAS2 for the keyless entry was performed
- 11/2024 the heated steering wheel quit working and was replaced
- 01/2025 the auxiliary radiator was leaking caused by damage from a rock. Radiator was replaced

Overall, it has had some minor problems, but nothing that bothered me that much or was an inconvenience. Some people might think this is a long list, but for someone who has had Land Rovers since I started driving, this is pretty minimal, and other than the ECU and aux radiator, nothing serious. In fact, the coolant leak from the radiator was so minute, it would've probably taken at least 6-8 months to notice a drop in the coolant level.

The newer Defenders (2024+) seem to not have any issues with the headlights that I've seen.

V8 models still have the potential for timing chain issues (especially if one follows the 15k mile oil change intervals), but the crossover pipes are no longer a problem, as JLR now use metal pipes in the Defender instead of the ****ty plastic ones that go bad every 4-5 years. I wish I had metal pipes on my old LR4 and Discovery 5.

If you want the most reliable, I'd stick with the P300 and P400. The 5.0 is pretty solid, but timing chains are a potential issue. I've never liked that N63 BMW V8. I don't like it in BMWs, and I don't like it in Land Rovers. Doesn't sound all that great and notoriously unreliable.

Be aware that air suspension was standard for the 2020-2021 model years. After 2022, it became an optional extra on the core trim levels, and standard on the Defender X and all trims that offer the 5.0 V8.

I did purchase an eight-year, 120,000 mile extended warranty administered by ASC through my dealer. I normally tend to avoid extended warranties, but the new finance manager at my JLR dealer is a personal friend of mine and he did me a solid and sold me that warranty for just over $4,500 all-in. Everything is covered except for interior and exterior trim pieces. I average right around 10,000 miles a year, and do a number of off-road trips, where the Defender has never let me down. Overall, it is the perfect blend of capability, versatility, and luxury, and I will be keeping this one for a long, long time.

Best of luck with the search, and hope this is of some value!

 

THANK YOU! I adjusted the post to reflect your response.

THANK YOU for the door issues. I read it but then lost it while compiling this! Its funny because I saw your comments on a couple of threads and brought up the same gen Accord. HAHA!! It gave me peace of mind on the Defender.

Huge thank you Cincy! I actually found your comment about the timing chain and crossover pipe in a previous thread. I'll change the commentary on the crossover pipe reflect the update to date info. I am eyeing an X and want to keep this for a every long time. It truly ticks off a lot of boxes for us making it one of the best all around utility vehicle out. We need this well thought out response from other owners.

 

I can't talk to the 4.4l BMW V8 in the octa. But I have a lot of experience with the JLR 5.0 V8. I've now had four of those over the years. Timing chain issues sounded like they were in some of the earlier ones in the 2010-14 timescale but are much less of a challenge since they reengineered the guides and chains

I've had a 2010 V8 SC which I got to 100k miles with zero engine issues. Couple of water pumps replaced but literally nothing else. I had a 2012 V8 (non SC). Also over 100k miles. Also no maintenance issues for the engine. 12k annual oil changes

I now have two 5.0 V8 SC (both jags). Lower mileage but one is a 2017 F Type (under 30k miles) and again zero issues

I maintain it well and oil change per service interval. They are non babied, do high miles and have been very reliable

Realize you will hear lots of issue stories on a forum as that's what people post about. But my experience has been good. Also did 100k miles on a discovery V6 SC with annual 16,000 mile oil changes and again no issues on that one.

We are 6 months and 10k miles into our P400 X defender and so far has been excellent. Engine is really smooth and noticeably more power than the discovery V6 SC

Good luck in your hunt! I have no regrets with my cars.

 

IMO that ReDriven video over plays a lot of the issues with the Defender, and puts them early on to appeal to the key board warriors that hate stuff they can’t afford. Defenders are a great car and that should never be misunderstood.
just my two cents

 

The single biggest issue I see on the Defender - which I don’t see mentioned here -- is the rear shocks on Defenders that encounter “severe service usage” (by that I mean high mileage or big time offroading and/or NY city style driving with some mileage. The rear shock shafts bend because they are hollow and they have an electrical wire in them. When they bend, they slightly elongate, which causes the the upper mounting nut to loosen, a rattling noise , the wires can twist and break causing a suspension error even -- and the rear shock and the upper shock mount needs to be replaced as a result. Sometimes, the shock breaks completely rendering the vehicle undreiveable. I have 2 friends who have had 1 rear shock replaced on their P400 Defenders as a result (one in Seattle, one in Portland OR). Both had rattling noises warning of the failure beforehand.

There are several other documented cases of this -- and at least one vendor trying to come up with solutions.

This is probably only applicable to Defenders with high mileage and/or severe service / usage.

If I were buying a 50K+ mile Defender, I’d drive it and listen for a telltale rattle from the cargo area for this noise. It sounds a bit like a woodpecker in the back. Some videos exist of it here and online / Youtube. Very distinctive. There is also a visual inspection possible, at least on 5 seater 110’s. I am unsure about 90’s, or 130’s. No visual inspection is possible on 7 seater 110’s. As follows:

This is easy to check on 5 seaters upon purchase: Lift up the cargo floor. Examine the rear shock wiring at each rear upper shock mount for the wires twisting. If they are twisted around each other tightly (there are pictures online documenting what it looks like), the shock mount may be loose, the shock shaft may be rotating, and the wires may be twisting, and eventually they may break and give a suspension error because the shock mount is loose. On a 7 seater, unfortunately, it’s buried and you cannot see / do a visual inspection without pulling seats and trim. (ie a “no go”) .

BTW none of this applies on non-air suspension vehicles. Spring vehicles don’t have these electronic shocks. Only the air suspension L663’s. But the spring vehicles are rare anyways.

That said: Defender is the most reliable JLR product I’ve ever seen to date. I wouldn’t be scared off. But if I were buying a high mileage one, I’d listen for rattles in the rear.

 

Battery: Right after I got my 2023 CPO P400, low battery warnings showed up and car died. Defender has some battery issues but even without it, it drains battery very quickly. so if you're buying any used condition, please make sure battery has no issue or replaced already. But high recommend having battery maintainer handy.

HUD: My HUD rare didn't show up. Dealer replaced it. It's $4-5000 job.

Electrical Heating/Cooling Functions: it stopped working after dealer replaced battery. No heated steering wheel, no heated seats (both fronts and back), no cooled seats (both fronts). Dealer claimed that it was some short of circuit shortage but I believe it was actually dealer mistakes didn't connecting something when they replaced battery (hard to believe all electrical heating/cooling function went bad same time).

After that, mostly solid car. While this car gave me the most headaches, it's super fun car (had enough M cars and P cars but this is my very first LR car and it has quite unique character). After I got my Defender, my 911 is connected on battery maintainer and haven't driven for a while. So out of all your list, I think you will not regret getting a Defender (but can't guarantee it will not give you any headaches here and there).

 

Great Feedback thank you! I cross shopped the F Type and the LC because both have excellent reliability. F Type is severely underappreciated!


This was my impression as well. It seems like they are trying to call out every little thing possible, but with no real proof. If this thread can counter a lot of his talking points with proof then it will help the Defender reliability image.

HUGE PIECE OF ADVICE!!! First I ever heard of this and explained in great detail! Thank you Nash!



This is an instance where the Battery created a lot of gremlins.

Do you know what they did to fix your HUD?

What was the process to gain your Electrical Heating/Cooling Functions back?

Your vehicle ownership experience is similar with the M and P cars. Big fan of the Macan and Cayenne as those are impeccable! Could you share your thoughts highlighting the key differences between your Macan vs your Defender?