How reliable is the Land Rover Defender?
Owner-reported reliability data — inspection results, typical mileage, and the most common failures.
The Land Rover Defender passes first-time inspections at roughly the European average. Typical mileage by age and a year-by-year breakdown of reliability are shown below. All figures are owner-reported real-world data, not a marketing rating.
Average reliability
Based on 132,856 inspection tests. First-time pass rate: 77.6%.
Land Rover Defender reliability by year
How the Land Rover Defender performs at first-time inspection, broken down by the year cohort. Empty cells mean we don't have enough owner-reported data for that year yet.
| Year cohort | Pass rate | Typical mileage @ 5 yrs |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 77.6% | 108,224 km |
| 1983 | 78.6% | — |
| 1984 | 74.9% | — |
| 1985 | 75.3% | — |
| 1986 | 71.5% | — |
| 1987 | 71.3% | — |
| 1988 | 71.2% | — |
| 1989 | 70.3% | — |
| 1990 | 71.1% | — |
| 1991 | 70.6% | — |
| 1992 | 69.2% | — |
| 1993 | 70.8% | — |
| 1994 | 68.5% | — |
| 1995 | 69% | — |
| 1996 | 68.5% | — |
| 1997 | 70.2% | — |
| 1998 | 71% | — |
| 1999 | 69.4% | — |
| 2000 | 69.2% | — |
| 2001 | 69.7% | — |
Model-level pattern, not per-car prediction
These figures describe the Land Rover Defender as a model. The reliability of any individual Land Rover Defender also depends on service history, accident history, and how it was driven. Run a free VIN check to see the records attached to a specific car you're considering.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Land Rover Defender reliable?
Based on owner-reported inspection records, the Land Rover Defender passes first-time inspections at roughly the European average. Its first-time inspection pass rate sits around 78%. Reliability varies by year and engine — see the year-by-year breakdown on this page for the specific cohort you're considering.
What are the common problems on the Land Rover Defender?
Common-issue data for this model is still being aggregated. Run a free VIN check to see the issues recorded for the specific vehicle you're looking at.
What mileage is normal for a Land Rover Defender?
For a typical Land Rover Defender, owner-reported average mileage works out to about — at 3 years, 108,224 km at 5 years, and — at 10 years. The mileage section on this page shows the full distribution — high-use vs low-use cars often differ by a factor of three.
How do I check a specific Land Rover Defender before buying?
Enter the 17-character VIN on Carlytics. The free check shows decoded specs and open safety recalls. The full vehicle history report (from EUR 8.90) cross-references owner-reported issues, mileage records, and stolen-vehicle databases for the specific car — model-level reliability tells you the pattern, the VIN check tells you the car.