Model year 2026 · Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD

2026 Land Rover Defender: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2026 Land Rover Defender at 16–20 mpg combined across 12 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 6 owner complaints for this model year.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

16–20

NHTSA overall rating

—

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Land Rover dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2026 Land Rover Defender recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2026 Land Rover Defender, newest first.

Air bags: Frontal

NHTSA 26V389000 Reported Jun 12, 2026

Filed by: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (manufacturer recall no. D120)
Units affected: 250,857 (estimate)
Problem: 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 driverâs air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driverâs 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Fuel system, gasoline: Storage: Tank assembly

NHTSA 26V263000 Reported Apr 23, 2026

Filed by: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (manufacturer recall no. D127)
Units affected: 6 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: In the event of a crash, an improperly manufactured fuel tank may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Seat belts: Critical fasteners

NHTSA 26V163000 Reported Mar 18, 2026

Filed by: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (manufacturer recall no. D098 D113)
Units affected: 582 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: A seat belt assembly with an insufficient weld may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2026 Land Rover Defender fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2026 Land Rover Defender EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Defender 110	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	18/22/20 mpg	$4,100	452
Defender 110	5.0L 8-cyl supercharged	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	14/18/16 mpg	$5,150	574
Defender 110 MHEV	3.0L 6-cyl turbo hybrid	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	18/22/20 mpg	$4,100	453
Defender 110 MHEV	4.4L 8-cyl turbo hybrid	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	15/19/17 mpg	$4,850	534
Defender 110 Trophy MHEV	3.0L 6-cyl turbo hybrid	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	17/18/17 mpg	$4,850	512
Defender 130	5.0L 8-cyl supercharged	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	14/19/16 mpg	$5,150	567
Defender 130 Outbound	3.0L 6-cyl turbo hybrid	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	17/19/18 mpg	$4,550	500
Defender 130 P300 MHEV	3.0L 6-cyl turbo hybrid	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	17/21/19 mpg	$4,350	468
Defender 130 P400 MHEV	3.0L 6-cyl turbo hybrid	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	16/20/18 mpg	$4,550	491
Defender 90	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	18/21/19 mpg	$4,350	465
Defender 90	5.0L 8-cyl supercharged	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	15/19/16 mpg	$5,150	550
Defender 90 MHEV	3.0L 6-cyl turbo hybrid	Automatic 8-speed	4-Wheel Drive	Premium	18/23/20 mpg	$4,100	448

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2026 Land Rover Defender crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2026 Land Rover Defender NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2026 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110 SUV MHEV 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	—	No
2026 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 130 SUV MHEV 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	—	No
2026 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 SUV MHEV 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	—	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2026 Land Rover Defender owner complaints

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Land Rover Defender, most recently on Sep 23, 2026. 0 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2026 Land Rover Defender complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Electrical system	2
Unknown or other	2
Air bags	1
Engine	1
Exterior lighting	1
Power train	1
Service brakes	1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Land Rover Defender model years

Land Rover Defender by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Defender	17–18 mpg	—	—	—
2025 Defender	16–19 mpg	1	13	—
2024 Defender	16–20 mpg	7	27	—
2023 Defender	16–20 mpg	9	86	—
2022 Defender	16–19 mpg	6	76	—
2021 Defender	18–19 mpg	9	42	—
2020 Defender	18–19 mpg	7	58	—

All Land Rover Defender years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2026 Land Rover models

2026 Land Rover Discovery 2026 Land Rover Range Rover

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Land Rover.