2022 Land Rover Defender 110: What to check before buying

The DC-DC converter fails and the battery stops charging. Warnings such as "Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected" and low-battery alerts come first, then the vehicle shuts down completely, sometimes while moving in traffic. Steering, transmission and suspension faults often appear together. A new 12V battery does not fix it, and the truck usually needs a tow. Many reports describe replacement parts on backorder, with vehicles stuck at dealers for weeks or months. Separate reports describe automatic emergency braking activating with nothing ahead, plus headlight, door lock and air suspension faults.

The windshield cracks with no impact. It happens while parked, while being washed, or on hot, sunny days. Cracks usually start at the top center or a lower edge and spread across the driver's view, sometimes through the camera area. Several appeared within the first 5,765 to 8,000 miles or the first few months of ownership. Others say tiny pebbles crack the glass easily. Dealers and the manufacturer have declined warranty coverage in some cases, leaving owners to pay out of pocket or through insurance.

The LED daytime running lights burn out. It often happens to both headlights, after about a year or two of use. No dashboard warning appears, so owners only notice by looking at the car. The fix is a full headlight assembly that owners quote at $3,000 to $5,000 once the warranty ends. Some say replacement units fail again, and headlamps can be back-ordered for months. A separate report describes both taillights shutting off when a bright light hits them, staying off until the vehicle is restarted.

Power steering stops working at startup, usually after the vehicle has sat for a while. A "lane assist not available" message is often the only warning. The steering wheel will not turn even though the vehicle can still shift into drive and reverse. Restarts rarely help, and dealers have trouble finding a cause. One report also describes the engine dying repeatedly at red lights, both before and after a battery-related repair. Owners worry the steering could fail at speed.

The engine stalls or the vehicle loses all power with little or no warning. One pattern involves auto stop/start: the engine shuts off at a light and then stalls several times when the driver tries to pull away. Other reports describe electrical and transmission failure warnings followed by a full shutdown within seconds, including at highway speed, leaving the vehicle stranded in traffic. A DC-DC converter failure is a diagnosed cause, and repairs took weeks.

The driver-side A-pillar trim comes loose and falls off at highway speed. A trim piece of around 20 inches can flap in the wind or fly off completely, forcing an immediate stop. Warranty repairs do not always hold, and the same pieces have come off again within a month. In one case a detached piece struck another vehicle, so this is a road hazard for other drivers too.