2023 Land Rover Defender Electrical System Problems

Vehicle: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 P400 (MHEV) Component Failure: Failure of the 48V DC-DC converter module (L8B2-14B227-AD), which converts 48V to 12V and maintains the vehicle’s 12V electrical system. The component is available for inspection. What Happened: Vehicle displayed “Charging System Fault” and red battery warning. Shortly after, the vehicle became inoperable and left driver stranded. Diagnostics showed: 48V battery retained voltage (~45V) No current output from the 48V system No 12V charging DTC: P065B-16 (Generator Control Circuit Voltage Below Threshold) The DC-DC converter reported “Failure / Standby” and would not initialize. High-voltage contactors did not close, preventing power delivery from the 48V system. Safety Risk: Failure disables 12V charging and can render the vehicle inoperable without warning. This creates a risk of being stranded and loss of essential vehicle functions. Inspection / Confirmation: Issue was confirmed through diagnostic tools (GAP IIDTool). Failure condition and DTC are consistent with DC-DC converter malfunction. Warnings Prior to Failure: “Charging System Fault” message and red battery warning appeared immediately prior to loss of function. No earlier warning. Additional Information: Similar failures involving the DC-DC converter and 48V MHEV system have been reported by other owners. Failures outside of warranty result in significant repair costs.

While driving the dashboard suddenly showed a message saying Battery Charging Fault error” a few minutes later the car stopped driving while I was on a busy freeway. It had no power and it displayed several messages saying suspension system is disabled, battery issue, cameras disabled. I had try to navigate my rolling car to a side lane to call roadside assistance. It was a very dangerous incident and needs to be addressed. Land Rover in White Plains NY, diagnosed my vehicle saying the Dc to Dc converter needs to be replaced and they don’t have any in stock. They also mentioned they have 30 customer cars all waiting for the same part. This was scary and I’m grateful my children were not in the vehicle at the time.

The contact owns a 2023 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 – 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shuddered and vibrated with several unknown warning lights illuminated and flashing before the vehicle abruptly stalled and lost power in the middle of the freeway. The vehicle lost steering and braking functionality and was unable to accelerate. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that several vehicles almost crashed into the rear of the vehicle, and a semi-truck came to a screeching halt behind the vehicle. The contact experienced an extreme panic attack and severe anxiety during the failure. The Emergency Services were called to the scene and with the help of the Fire Department, Police, and Ambulance Services, the vehicle was moved from the roadway to safety. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the DC-to-DC converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the part was on back order and that the vehicle could not be immediately repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

On 2/18/26 the vehicle electrical system stopped working. I unlocked teh vehicle with an emergincy key inside the keyfob. Once towed back to the dealer I was informed that the DC-to-DC converter failed causing the entire electical system to fail/immobilized the vehicle. The part will take 3-4 weeks to receive. Doing my own desk research I see that this is common issue and in many cases reoccurring b/c the part is replaced with a version that is also failing (look at how many different part #'s have been issued).

The dc dc converter failed and had to be towed away. The incident happened while I was driving the vehicle.

DC-DC converter failure. Received dashboard message “Stop safely Electrical fault detected”

Car suddenly stopped and lost all power due to DC DC converter issue

DC/DC converter failed on the 2023 Land Rover Defender about 2000 miles out of warranty. The parts are on back order with no ETA because so many LR Defenders are having this issue. This can cause your car to die while driving.

DC-DC Converter failed, battery light came on mid-drive and I continued to drive to try and make it to my destination. Car systems started one by one shutting down, first my seat heater then eventually my steering and gas petal. The Vehicle then died and left me stranded in the middle of the road while cars were passing me leaving me unsafe and blocking the road for more than an hour untill a tow truck could arrive. I could have easily been in an accident if I was on a different road do to the steering assist and gas pedal not continuing to work. Making it unsafe for me and many people on the road. The car would also not turn on or go into neutral so I could push it off to the side. Making it a hazard blocking a major road. I took it to Land Rover dealer and they mentioned that this is currently a common issue among Defenders, they have a bunch of them sitting on the lot waiting for this part and it is currently back ordered for several months. Leading me to believe this isn't an isolated incident and that Land Rover should address it before someone gets hurt on the road.

Vehicle was started, while still in park, an alert appeared on the dashboard “stop safely electrical fault detected”. Vehicle was turned off and restarted, with the same warning light on. Called LR dealer, Vehicle was backed out of garage at service advisors advice, parked and flatbed tow truck called.

DC-DC converter has failed causing the car to shut of while driving. During this period of time the car shuts off and the steering wheel locks. Seems to be a massive problem as every dealer we call doesn't have the parts to repair and are quoting months to fix the car.

The DC/DC converter failed when I turned the car on and I received a warning. Drove straight to the dealership to drop it off for service. Reviewing others with this issue online, it is an extremely common problem and no recall has been issued. Many report their cars dying in the middle of nowhere. To make matters worse, there is a long backlog for the part, months for some people. I’m waiting to hear back from the dealer on my wait time. I hope by submitting a report that you will consider requiring Land Rover to issue a recall.

Received a stop vehicle, "Electrical Fault". Diagnosed by certified mechanic to be DC to DC Converter fault needing replacement. Estimated 1-2 month backorder due to high demand for parts.

An electrical component called the DC DC converter failed in my 2023 Land Rover Defender. I discovered the failure after starting the car after work. A warning that the battery was not charging presented itself. I didn't think it was a major issue and could be something reset easily. I was able to get the car home safely but shortly after the car was completely non functional and could have potentially shut down right on the interstate on my drive home. Currently my car has been at the dealership for over two weeks waiting on a new converter because it is on backorder. This part is quite fragile and its failure can leave drivers stranded on the highway.

I own a 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 that I purchased brand new. Since buying it, it has been back to the dealer many times for serious issues. The vehicle has had repeated cooling system failures, including replacement of all upper coolant hoses. Most recently it was at the dealer for coolant loss / no coolant, and the dealer diagnosed failed O-rings going into the turbo and repaired it. I was told this is a common issue but there has been no recall. Shortly after getting the vehicle back, while traveling with my family, I received a dashboard warning: “Stop safely – electrical fault.” Immediately after this warning, the vehicle lost power and died in the street with my family in the car, creating a major safety hazard and risk of being hit by traffic. The vehicle had to be towed. I am currently stranded in NY (away from home in MA) and the vehicle is now at a dealer here. It has been difficult to even get it seen by a technician, and we are supposed to return home tomorrow (Sunday). I have learned many other owners are experiencing similar “Stop safely” failures and it appears related to the P400 DC/DC converter. There have also been incidents where the steering wheel would not turn, and the only way to restore function was disconnecting the negative battery terminal to reset the vehicle computer, which is extremely dangerous. Additionally, the heated steering wheel overheated and burned a hole through the steering wheel and burned my hand while driving. The dealer replaced it under warranty, but the repair notes suggested the damage caused the heater issue, when the damage occurred because of the overheating/burn. This vehicle has had repeated safety-related defects involving the cooling system, electrical system, steering, and heated steering wheel, including sudden shutdown in the roadway with passengers. I request NHTSA investigate for a potential recall.

While driving my Defender 130 at Highway speed a warning for a faulty electrical system light came on. Within a mile while I was trying to exit the highway, all electrical systems failed. I had a gearbox failure warning and the car went into neutral at highway speed. Power steering failed and I had to manhandle the vehicle off the road into a snow drift to get off the highway.

The car completely died. Unable to be jumped. Had to be towed. There’s a problem with the DC/DC converter. The parts going to take at least 3-4 weeks to come in. My dealer states they have over five or six vehicles waiting for the same repair. This should be a recall issue!

The contact owns a 2023 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shut off unintendedly. There was an unknown electrical warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failure with the DC converter Part Number: 433123464. The contact was informed that the part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the part was on backorder. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.

Car only has 42K miles on it- we were driving down the highway at approx 75mph, when the dash alarms started going off indicating an electrical system failure. A few minutes later all systems started flashing failures (lane keep assist system, braking system, etc)....then suddenly the gear box system failure alerted and the gears disengaged, the RPM's shot up and red-lined, and the CAR lost power in the middle of the highway. Fortunately we were able to get off to the shoulder without getting hit by a semi-truck. The car was completely dead. It had to be towed to a dealer, to find out that the DC/DC converter had failed- and these parts have been on back order for months- apparently this is a common issue with these cars, and people have been talking about it online...many have been without their car for 3-4 months waiting these parts.

The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete electrical failure while driving, related to the DC converter. Warning lights did appear prior to the failure; however, I was driving down a mountainous road and do not recall the exact messages. Shortly after, the vehicle shut down and lost power, causing it to roll to a stop in active traffic. At the time of the incident, I was partially in the roadway and unable to safely move the vehicle out of traffic. The vehicle became inoperable and could not be restarted. I had two children and two dogs in the vehicle at the time. The vehicle had to be towed approximately two hours back home. The required part was on backorder for approximately two months due to so many vehicles having the issue, leaving my vehicle unusable for an extended period. This issue creates a serious safety hazard due to the sudden loss of propulsion and inability to move the vehicle out of traffic. Based on my research, this appears to be a known issue affecting multiple Land Rover Defenders. In attempting to locate the part sooner, we contacted several Land Rover dealerships, all of which indicated they had numerous Defenders awaiting the same repair due to part availability.