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FWIW - I'm one of the ones driving around in LA with my passenger halo out. Stopped functioning right before my 40k service. Land Rover LA tried to find one on site but ended up having to order. My rep said replacements coming in sometime in December but I could tell he didn't feel confident about that timeline.
Simon has figured out what's going wrong and is apparently coming up with a fix - check this video out that explains in depth. There's a little circuit board going kaput in the headlamp assembly. Disaster for these headlamp parts suppliers I'd say... JLR cannot be happy with them about it !
Simon has figured out what's going wrong and is apparently coming up with a fix - check this video out that explains in depth. There's a little circuit board going kaput in the headlamp assembly. Disaster for these headlamp parts suppliers I'd say... JLR cannot be happy with them about it !
I watched that the other day. Great viewing. I think I could watch Simon read the phone book and be enthralled. The little LED with the heat sink. Incredible how small the LED is with how bright it is. It's a shame the headlight housing wasn't two parts with a gasket rather than two bits melded together. Probably would come with its own set of problems but would mean owners could self-repair.
2021 Defender here. Passenger side halo/daytime running light appears out. still trying to pinpoint exactly which lights aren’t functioning. Keeping an eye on this thread, thanks forum. -Bill Sayville, NY
Hello, new to posting, but have lurked on here through nearly every new Defender post. Both of my DRL are out on my 2020 Defender. I suppose it is lucky they are both out and not as noticeable, but a bummer nonetheless. Vehicle is out of warranty and I may not do anything until the aftermarket picks up on the failure trend and comes up with a cheaper fix. I watched Simon's videos taking the headlight apart, but seems like a gamble with all the plastic parts snapping. I wish the $25 circuit board was easier to get to. Hopefully a recall is in the future. Anyone know what the threshold of failure is to initiate this? Does it seem like a possibility or wishful thinking?
FWIW I found a custom headlight company that is willing to replace the faulty circuit board if supplied (~$25 part). This is the message I received from my inquiry:
"We can do the service if you supply the boards. We would be installing new lenses as well. It is safer to cut the original lenses off to prevent damaging the housing.
The open/reseal is $600. The new lenses are about $250.
The total estimate is $850 plus return shipping."
Add in shipping and the cost of the circuit board, and I bet you are looking at ~$900 per light - A far cry from the ~$4k for those of us out of warranty. Some of the circuit boards out there claim to produce less heat and last longer than the OEM ones, so it could be a better alternative than to keep putting the same faulty board in.
FWIW I found a custom headlight company that is willing to replace the faulty circuit board if supplied (~$25 part). This is the message I received from my inquiry:
"We can do the service if you supply the boards. We would be installing new lenses as well. It is safer to cut the original lenses off to prevent damaging the housing.
The open/reseal is $600. The new lenses are about $250.
The total estimate is $850 plus return shipping."
Add in shipping and the cost of the circuit board, and I bet you are looking at ~$900 per light - A far cry from the ~$4k for those of us out of warranty. Some of the circuit boards out there claim to produce less heat and last longer than the OEM ones, so it could be a better alternative than to keep putting the same faulty board in.
@AVLDefender interesting. Good sleuthing. This is pretty competitive for what it is on Porsche 911's (the 991, 2012 to present, and the 981's). I just paid $900 to have my 911's headlamp lenses replaced from a company called Rennlights. The replacements from Porsche are similarly insane (I think $3400 per side) and Porsche is not covering them under CPO warranty or goodwill post warranty (991's ended in 2019 so they're basically all out of warranty). In that case it's a lens issue, not a circuit board. But the process is the same. I'll email the guy there to see if he wants to start doing Defenders...
BTW rather annoying on a 22k mile all garaged Porsche... just like this on our Land Rovers where mileage or severity of usage condition doesn't seem to have an impact.
@AVLDefender interesting. Good sleuthing. This is pretty competitive for what it is on Porsche 911's (the 991, 2012 to present, and the 981's). I just paid $900 to have my 911's headlamp lenses replaced from a company called Rennlights. The replacements from Porsche are similarly insane (I think $3400 per side) and Porsche is not covering them under CPO warranty or goodwill post warranty (991's ended in 2019 so they're basically all out of warranty). In that case it's a lens issue, not a circuit board. But the process is the same. I'll email the guy there to see if he wants to start doing Defenders...
BTW rather annoying on a 22k mile all garaged Porsche... just like this on our Land Rovers where mileage or severity of usage condition doesn't seem to have an impact.
I have a feeling the custom headlight companies are not yet dialed into the opportunity the Defender presents. They are likely the best option for a reasonable fix. Keep us posted on what Rennlights can offer, I would certainly be curious.
While I sympathize with the Porsche issue, I find some solace in knowing we are not alone. 😜
What an absolutely stunning vehicle BTW (even without headlights)! Is that your garage!?
