2022-2023 Land Rover Defender Seat Belt Pretensioner Recall (22V523)

Recall 22V523 at a glance

What is wrong with the 2022-2023 Land Rover Defender in recall 22V523?

The driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners may be damaged, which can cause the seat belts to not properly restrain occupants.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2022-23 Land Rover Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport and 2022 Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners may be damaged, which can cause the seat belts to not properly restrain occupants.

Is it safe to drive a 2022-2023 Defender with recall 22V523?

NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: Improperly restrained occupants have an increased risk of injury during a crash.

NHTSA describes the risk this way: Improperly restrained occupants have an increased risk of injury during a crash.

There is no do-not-drive order on this campaign. If your Defender shows warning lights or behaves differently in a way that involves the pretensioner, have it checked before driving further.

Which vehicles are included in recall 22V523?

Recall 22V523 covers 4,927 vehicles: 2022-2023 Land Rover Defender; 2022-2023 Land Rover Discovery; 2022-2023 Land Rover Discovery Sport; 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Sport; 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Velar.

NHTSA lists 4,927 vehicles in this campaign, built December 22, 2021 to March 29, 2022. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.

What is the fix for the Defender seat belt pretensioner recall?

Yes. Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge.

Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N720.

When was recall 22V523 announced?

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC reported recall 22V523 to NHTSA on July 21, 2022. NHTSA lists the owner letter date as September 16, 2022.

This recall was filed 51 months ago, and vehicles were built over a span of 97 days. If your Defender was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.

How do I check if my Defender is part of recall 22V523?

Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 22V523 is open on your Defender, it will be listed there.

Look up your VIN on nhtsa.gov/recalls. If 22V523000 is open on your Defender, it will be listed there, along with Land Rover recall number N720. You can also ask any Land Rover dealer to run the VIN. The VIN is printed on your registration and visible through the lower driver-side windshield.

What should Defender owners do about recall 22V523?

Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 22V523000 applies to your Defender.
2. Book the recall appointment with any authorized Land Rover dealer. Ask up front whether parts are available and how long the vehicle will be there.
3. Get a repair order for every visit, even if the dealer only inspects the vehicle. Read it before you leave and make sure your complaint is written the way you described it.
4. Keep a simple log of any pretensioner symptoms with dates and mileage. Video of a warning light or the problem happening is strong evidence.
5. Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
6. If the problem comes back after the repair, return to the dealer and contact a lemon law attorney.

What are Defender owners reporting to NHTSA?

Owners have filed 200 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 0 of them about the seat belts.

Too few NHTSA complaints about the seat belts have been filed since recall 22V523 was reported (0) to say whether the fix is holding.

NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 200 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 0 of them involve the seat belts. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.

• 2023 Land Rover Defender: 82 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2022 Land Rover Defender: 73 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Sport: 14 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2022 Land Rover Discovery: 9 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Velar: 8 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2023 Land Rover Discovery: 7 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport: 4 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2023 Land Rover Discovery Sport: 3 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts

Can recall 22V523 make my Defender a lemon in California?

Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.

Recall 22V523000 does not automatically make your Defender a lemon. California's Song-Beverly Act asks two questions: does a warranty defect substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety, and did the manufacturer fail to fix it in a reasonable number of tries (Civ. Code 1793.2(d))?

Seat belt defects are safety defects. If the belt, buckle or pretensioner still does not work right after the recall repair, the repeat visit belongs in your records.

The recall repair is available at dealers. If it works, great. If the same symptom comes back, the recall visit is one repair attempt and the next visit is another.

California law presumes a reasonable number of attempts has been made if, within 18 months or 18,000 miles of delivery, the same problem was repaired two or more times for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more times for any covered defect, or the vehicle was out of service for repairs more than 30 days in total (Civ. Code 1793.22(b)). Some of these require written notice to the manufacturer. A claim can still succeed outside that window.

An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.

Frequently asked questions about recall 22V523