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Land Rover · Midsize / large SUV

2026 Land Rover Defender

HybridGas

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
12 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

69 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical3

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA4

Crash ratingNHTSA overall—

Fuel economybest combined, EPA20 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020

The 2026 Land Rover Defender is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize or large SUV with 12 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Defender 110 MHEV, is EPA-rated at 20 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 4 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Defender 110 MHEV	Hybrid	4WD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	18	22	20	$3,900
Defender 90 MHEV	Hybrid	4WD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	18	23	20	$3,900
Defender 130 P300 MHEV	Hybrid	4WD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	17	21	19	$4,100
Defender 130 Outbound	Hybrid	4WD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	17	19	18	$4,300
Defender 130 P400 MHEV	Hybrid	4WD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	20	18	$4,300
Defender 110 MHEV	Hybrid	4WD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo + 48V Li-Ion	15	19	17	$4,550
Defender 110 Trophy MHEV	Hybrid	4WD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	17	18	17	$4,550
Defender 110	Gas	4WD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	18	22	20	$3,900
Defender 90	Gas	4WD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	18	21	19	$4,100
Defender 110	Gas	4WD	5.0L 8-cyl	14	18	16	$4,850
Defender 130	Gas	4WD	5.0L 8-cyl	14	19	16	$4,850
Defender 90	Gas	4WD	5.0L 8-cyl	15	19	16	$4,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 50016, 50017, 50018, 49921, 50019, 49591, 49922, 49586, 49587, 49589.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Air Bags

D120

250,857 vehicles

ProblemJaguar 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 driverâ€™s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.RiskAn air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.FixDealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driverâ€™s air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 3, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.

NHTSA campaign 26V389000reported Jun 12, 2026Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

D127

6 vehicles

ProblemJaguar 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.RiskIn the event of a crash, an improperly manufactured fuel tank may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.FixDealers 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 26V263000reported Apr 23, 2026Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

▲high

Seat Belts

D098 D113

582 vehicles

ProblemJaguar 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.RiskA seat belt assembly with an insufficient weld may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixDealers 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 26V163000reported Mar 18, 2026Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

4complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2026: 4

Most-cited components

Unspecified2

Engine1

Power Train1

Service Brakes1

Air Bags1

What owners describe

“The transmission has failed twice while the vehicle was in motion, causing loss of gear control and, on one occasion, loss of parking brake function. Incident 1 â€” March 24, 2026: While driving on the highway, the transmission failed and the vehicle entered a "safety mode." The vehicle was in dealer service for 8 days…”Jul 8, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Defender model years

2025 Land Rover Defender

1 recalls · 12 complaints

2024 Land Rover Defender

5 recalls · 25 complaints

2023 Land Rover Defender

8 recalls · 81 complaints

2022 Land Rover Defender

5 recalls · 72 complaints

2021 Land Rover Defender

8 recalls · 38 complaints

2020 Land Rover Defender

6 recalls · 53 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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