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#BS-2022-LANDEF-104F2022 Land Rover DefenderProblems, Recalls & Reliability
Based on reports from 99 owners and 7 recalls for this exact model.
Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 99 complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, and 7 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.6x the class average.
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
27 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 35K miles.
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Electrical (27 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2022 Land Rover Defender: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 27% of all reports filed for the 2022 Land Rover Defender, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 35,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 35K-mile mark.
Lights Issues
Lights complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2022 Land Rover Defender, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to lights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Visibility Issues
Visibility complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2022 Land Rover Defender, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2022 Land Rover Defender, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2022 Land Rover Defender. Recent trend: increasing.
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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (7 recalls)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
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.
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2022-23 Land Rover Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport and 2022 Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners may be damaged, which can cause the seat belts to not properly restrain occupants.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION
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.
EQUIPMENT
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER
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). Insufficient electrical load balancing during times of high demand can lead to a current overload condition and malfunction of the DCDC converter. 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.
+ 2 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
2022 Land Rover Defender NHTSA Safety Ratings
Overall
Not ratedFrontal crash
Not ratedSide crash
Not ratedRollover
Not ratedFrom NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings). Where NHTSA tested more than one version of this vehicle, the lowest rating is shown.
The worst model year for the Land Rover Defender is the 2024 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is windows / windshield.
2022 Land Rover Defender vs. Class Average (Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD)
This vehicle
99
Class avg
38
2.6x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical standard sport utility vehicle 4wd vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 99 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 7 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026; safety ratings from NHTSA's 5-Star program.
Other Land Rover Defender Model Years
View all Land Rover Defender years →2022 Land Rover Defender: Frequently Asked Questions
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 99 owner reports. Know before you buy.