2020 LAND ROVER DEFENDER Exterior Lighting Problems

The Daytime Running Lights (DRL) stopped working. The biggest hazard of DRL failure in a 2020 Defender is reduced daytime visibility to other drivers, which increases accident risk, especially in marginal light conditions. Also, in the Defender, DRLs are LED-based and integrated into the front lighting assembly. A failure could point to wiring, control module, or fuse issues. If ignored, these could eventually affect other lighting systems. The issue has been reported to JLR and I will be taking the car to the dealer for formal diagnostics and report.

Mileage at time of failure: ~27,500 miles The signature LED headlamp assembly on my 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 X has experienced a failure of the integrated Daytime Running Light (DRL) module. The DRL has gone completely dark and is no longer functioning. This failure occurred shortly after the expiration of the factory warranty and affects a key visibility and safety feature of the vehicle. The only available repair, according to the dealership, is full replacement of the headlamp assembly at a cost of over $3,000. The DRL cannot be serviced independently. This is an unreasonable cost for a low-mileage vehicle and a safety-critical component. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting 2020–2022 Defender models, with numerous reports online from other owners citing identical DRL failures. This suggests a systemic design or quality defect in the headlamp assembly. A DRL failure undermines the vehicle’s visibility to other drivers and reduces safety during daylight driving. Given the high cost of repair and the frequency of reported failures, I believe this defect warrants investigation and potential recall action.

The LED daytime running light failed on my vehicle and the dealer needed to replace the entire headlight unit. The manufacturer wanted to charge $2,500 for the replacement. There must be something faulty in the design of these headlights as out of 156 people I surveyed with Defenders, I’ve heard of 55 who have had this same issue, 7 who have had their daytime running light and headlight fail, 87 who have not had the daytime running light issue yet, and 7 respondents do not have the LED headlights and have not had their daytime running issue. This seems to be a manufacturer defect.

The daytime running lights which also dim the overall lights at night, also known as the halo LED light continues to malfuction. I bought this car (2) years ago and I'm now on the second set up LED running lights. There are numerous other reports of this malfunctioning across owners. multiple online forums. this overall poses a large saftey hazard as the light is very dim at night from it not running, also including the daytime light casuing saftey issues for other cars.

This is a 2020 Land Rover Defender 110. The daytime running lights on the headlamp need replaced. I had replaced the passenger side a few months ago at the Land Rover dealership while the car was still under warranty at 49,500 miles. Now, the Land Rover has 55k miles and the driver side has gone out and the Land Rover Dealer has quoted me 3K to fix this. This is a common problem and many owners with the years 2020-2023 are experiencing the same problem. This should not be happening with LED lights with such low mileage on the Defenders. This is a safety issue and this model should be recalled. Yes, the dealer has confirmed the problem with the daytime running light on the headlamp. There were no warning lamps or messages with this failure.

Daytime running light failure. Making vehicle difficult to see. Dealer lists and a knows issue and and flagged as a safety concern. But refuses to repair or rectify the problem. And wants to charge over $4000 for a safety item.

Daytime running lights stopped working with no warning signs or notifications, reducing visibility.. Has been confirmed by independent service center. Circuitry in headlight is known to fail causing the daytime running light to stop without warning

The "cone of light "projected forward by the headlights is too narrow. When turning right or left from one dark road onto another dark road, one cannot determine if it is safe to turn. The light cone is blocked by the escutcheon around the headlight, which are set inward too deep. In addition, the light intensity of the main beam is insufficient for proper night driving on dark roads, Note:this car was one of the first deliveries in the US. The dealer was not aware of lack of fog lights on vehicle and beam width problem.

Much like the current recall N598 for the smoked rear lights. My rear lights (standard P300) red lensed lights can be turned off when a bright light is shone on the rear red lenses. Not only does it turn off the lights, it also disables the brake lights. I have been to the dealer and they believe it is a software problem (which it clearly is not) It has not been inspected by anyone else There are no warning lights that pop up when the rear lights or brake lights go out, so the only way to check is a visual check. The only way to turn them back on is to turn off the ignition and turn back on again.

The rear lights of the 2020 Defender 110 go out when hit with a bright light from behind. The issue can be duplicated with a flashlight as well. Lights from a following car will extinguish all the rear lights on the Defender, including brake lights (the slender brake light on the top of the vehicle, above the rear window still works, but none of the other lights work, including running lights, brake lights, and turn signals). This is a known problem with Land Rover, but there is no solution. They are expecting a software update sometime in the fall that may remedy this known issue.

I sell car parts and accessories online through my website powerfulUK.com and I have sold a quantity of smoked rear lights for the Defender 2021 models to the USA. These lights are fitted as an upgrade to the standard lights as they are smoked/tinted. These smoked lights are the subject of a recall N598 Land Rover has refused to notify or replace the lights sold to customers even though this is a popular upgrade and known issue. I think recall N598 should oblige Land Rover to notify all customers who have purchased the smoked lights as an upgrade to their standard model. See attached EMail from Land Rover head office

THE CONE OF LIGHT PROJECTED FORWARD BY THE HEADLIGHTS IS TOO NARROW. WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT FROM ONE DARK ROAD ONTO ANOTHER DARK ROAD, ONE CANNOT DETERMINE IF IT IS SAFE TO TURN. THE LIGHT CONE IS BLOCKED BY THE ESCUTCHEON AROUND THE HEADLIGHT, WHICH ARE SET INWARD TOO DEEP.

Mileage: 155

1. HEAD LIGHT ESCUTCHEON BLOCKS LIGHT IN DIRECTION OF RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. WHEN TURNING, THIS LEAVES THE CORNER IN THE DARK. 2. THE TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY IS "WHITE", AND TOO BRIGHT WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. VERY DISTRACTING. SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BLACK BACKGROUND, WITH WHITE INFO.

Mileage: 93