How reliable has your Defender been from new?

[NT5224]

Hi folks

I've started to see a few of the new Defenders around in the Top End which has peeked my curiosity. So Im curious to know what the ownership experience has been like for the new vehicle?

On the Australian product review website, Defender 2020-2022 owner reports average 2 stars. Some of the horror stories written by frustrated owners and the vitriol aimed at Jaguar Land Rover is astonishing. Are they really that bad? Im fully aware that these product review websites tend to draw complaints and negative reviews rather than those from satisfied owners.

Therefore I'm coming to this forum for an alternative perspective. I'm genuinely interested in the experience of buying and owning a new Defender. Was it was fully functional on delivery, and what has been your subsequent service and maintenance experience? Have you been impacted by the current supply chain and parts shortages?

Cheers

Alan

[grey_ghost]

I have a P300, 90. 10 months old and 36,000km on the clock.

Zero issues.

Many smiles - I love it.

[zilch]

P400 110 coming up to its 2nd birthday, 33,000 k’s, just brilliant, a few small teething
issues, rear passenger window frames replaced due to a sealant defect, coolant expansion tank
replaced due to dodgy sensor and minute leak. No serious issues, love it and one of if not the best LR
vehicles I have driven including time in the military and then over 20 years of spending my own 💵

[laughto]

Worthwhile checking out some of the Faceless Book's Defender groups. There are quite a few. One of the Australian specific sites is Land Rover New Defender Owners Group - founded in Australia ??

[grey_ghost]

Another point to consider (in my eyes) - yes the new Defender is a revolution compared to the old Defender BUT a lot of the major components have been around for a while..

The engines have been around for a while now.

The gearbox has been around for a while.

Even the entertainment system (PivoPro) has been around for a little while.

Some people say that it is a clean sheet design, which it is if you compare it to the old Defender, but a lot of the major components are existing/improved.

Cheers,
GG

[Eric SDV6SE]

Hi folks

I've started to see a few of the new Defenders around in the Top End which has peeked my curiosity. So Im curious to know what the ownership experience has been like for the new vehicle?

On the Australian product review website, Defender 2020-2022 owner reports average 2 stars. Some of the horror stories written by frustrated owners and the vitriol aimed at Jaguar Land Rover is astonishing. Are they really that bad? Im fully aware that these product review websites tend to draw complaints and negative reviews rather than those from satisfied owners.

Therefore I'm coming to this forum for an alternative perspective. I'm genuinely interested in the experience of buying and owning a new Defender. Was it was fully functional on delivery, and what has been your subsequent service and maintenance experience? Have you been impacted by the current supply chain and parts shortages?

Cheers

Alan

My only impact is that I have to wait 18months for my P400.

[Jase_T]

Day 1 after picking up my D300 SE, it came up with a headlight fault on the matrix LED. Had this back in the service center 2 weeks later for a complete headlight replacement.

Apparently the dealer said this was a cost to them at $7K. Who knows, it was a warranty job. Have 23,000KMs on the clock now and touch wood no other issues.

[Eric SDV6SE]

Day 1 after picking up my D300 SE, it came up with a headlight fault on the matrix LED. Had this back in the service center 2 weeks later for a complete headlight replacement.

Apparently the dealer said this was a cost to them at $7K. Who knows, it was a warranty job. Have 23,000KMs on the clock now and touch wood no other issues.

Hmm, I opted for the Matrix headlights as well, wait and see I guess.

[workingonit]

Hi folks

I've started to see a few of the new Defenders around in the Top End which has peeked my curiosity. So Im curious to know what the ownership experience has been like for the new vehicle?

Alan

My little note probably doesn't quite go to the heart of your query on these vehicles. However, you really should consider spending more time loitering in the car park of Bunnings Palmerston. A couple of weeks ago I got the opportunity to quiz the owners of a new Defender. I offered to wash their windscreen for a couple of bucks, but they declined, saying it's all automated without input from themselves (joke).

They were a very elderly couple, having lived in the NT for a long time, then moving south. They were up visiting their adult kids who still live in Darwin. They let me have a look through the vehicle.

They've had Land Rovers of one form or another throughout their lifes and think the new Defender is the best of them all. And no leaks! I guess time will tell.

From my memory of the conversation they now live in Victoria. They had more or less driven straight to Darwin after purchasing the vehicle, with one or two side trips, putting on 7,000kms by the time they got here.

I asked them what it was like overtaking road trains and in unison their response was an animated "wow" at the rate of acceleration - the vehicle has two batteries, one for starting and the other to run a supercharger (I assume to compensate for turbo lag).

What was really amusing is they still own an Isuzu County with 1,095,000 kms on it, having taken it all over Australia, including long desert trips. Everyone who learns about it wants to buy it off them - I tried! Even the local garbo on his rounds one day, saw it in the driveway. and wandered up to the house to make an offer. But not for sale. And while on the County, there is old timer living somewhere around Humpty Doo, that I've had a chat with,who reckons the County is the best vehicle (not just best LR) he has ever had.

I guess each to their own on what they expect to put in to and get out of a vehicle 'that is the best they've ever had'.

[Beasdefender]

Alan, I have done over 11,000km from the south coast of NSW through Melbourne, Flinders Ranges, Birdsville, Alice Springs, Tanami Track, Gibb River rd with all its off shoots and my Beast has been SPECTACULAR. Not the slightest hint of anything I would call trouble. I have had issues in three areas which I will document elsewhere:

1. The adaptive cruise control is patchy. It seems to go off and on for reasons I can't understand. I think it is because it won't work off made roads and/or it must have line markings either side of the lane it's in. I am not sure but either way, I don't see it as a problem.

2. Ventilation has been a problem with far too much dust getting into the cabin. I suspect I am not using the system properly, but the 'recirc' air button seems to go off on its own, somehow. It might be related to cabin pressure or similar but the cabin is dustier than I would like.

3. When I have time, I will document my tyre issues (three punctures over a short period of time) but that is hardly the car's fault. I think the tyres fitted - confirmed by a tyre shop in the North - are great for Brighton, Noosa and Mosman, but not much chop for the Gibb River Rd.

I can't commend the reliability of my Beast enough. It's a rock solid gem.

Hi folks

I've started to see a few of the new Defenders around in the Top End which has peeked my curiosity. So Im curious to know what the ownership experience has been like for the new vehicle?

On the Australian product review website, Defender 2020-2022 owner reports average 2 stars. Some of the horror stories written by frustrated owners and the vitriol aimed at Jaguar Land Rover is astonishing. Are they really that bad? Im fully aware that these product review websites tend to draw complaints and negative reviews rather than those from satisfied owners.

Therefore I'm coming to this forum for an alternative perspective. I'm genuinely interested in the experience of buying and owning a new Defender. Was it was fully functional on delivery, and what has been your subsequent service and maintenance experience? Have you been impacted by the current supply chain and parts shortages?

Cheers

Alan