Land RoverDefender 902021Overview/land-rover/defender-90/2021/base/

2021 Land Rover Defender 90

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2021 Defender 90.

Transmission Automatic (S8)

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 90 pairs its 90-series body with an S8 eight-speed automatic transmission and EPA fuel economy ratings of 18 city, 21 highway, and 19 combined mpg. Within the model's complaint history spanning 1994 through 2024, this year sits in the moderate range with 34 total owner complaints — well below the 2023 peak of 75 and far above 1996's single complaint — while nine recalls and visibility and wiper issues as the top complaint area round out its reliability profile. For a researcher, that places the 2021 as an early but already burdened entry in the modern Defender's reliability arc, where recall volume is notably high even as complaint counts haven't yet reached their later heights.

Model year20252024202320222021

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque103 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy18/21/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 49 · 850 CCA battery, OE oil filter LR073868. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 49 · 850 CCAOEM · verified
Tire size255/70R18/XL 116VOEM · verified
Wheel / rim8, Optional: 8, 8, 8, 8.5, 8.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filterLR073868 alt LR133457
Engine air filterLR129322
Spark plugLR178881
Battery429123482
Front wiper bladesLR162053
ThermostatLR106640 alt LR180316
Cabin air filterLR133345 alt LR171252

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S8)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length170.5 in
Overall width79.1 in
Overall height77.6 in
Wheelbase102 in
Curb weight4835 lb
Track (front / rear)67.3 / 66.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)50/50

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined18 / 21 / 19 mpg
Drivetrain4-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine DOT 4 · DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 103 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to A new drain plug must be used: 17.0 ft-lbs.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity9.0 qt
Brake FluidDOT 4 · DOT 4
Transfer Case FluidShell TF-0870
Transfer Case Fluid Capacity1.58 qt

Engine torques

Cylinder Head InstructionsOnly use new bolts.
Cylinder Head InstructionsOnly use new bolts.
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts9.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain PlugA new drain plug must be used: 22.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain PlugA new drain plug must be used: 17.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts103 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug21.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug21.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Spark Plug ManufacturerLand Rover
Spark Plug Gap0.028-0.031 in
Spark Plug Torque17.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerLand Rover
Spark Plug Gap0.023-0.025 in
Spark Plug Torque17.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46YF
Oil Capacity2.71 oz
Standard BCI Group Number49
Standard BCI Cranking Performance850 cca

Service checks

Primary Fuel Pump PressureLow Pressure Pump: 7.30-23.0 psi
Secondary Fuel Pump PressureHigh Pressure Pump: 931.2 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum65.3 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Maximum91.3 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum65.3 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Maximum91.3 psi

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque26.0 ft-lbs
ABS Sensor Torque6
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementMeasurements are stamped on Disc.

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
127.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90°27 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Bolts 1-1015 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Bolts 1-1422 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Upper and Lower Left7.4 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 21,000 mi; spark plugs every 63,000 mi; coolant at 105,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 105,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 21,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Universal Vehicle Operation (road test)
Every 42,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 63,000 miBrake Line (replace) · Hybrid Battery Compartment Air Filter (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 84,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
At 105,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 90 exhibits specific concerns in Visibility/Wiper (12 complaints) and Exterior Lighting (9 complaints), though the data does not specify the root causes for these issues. While total federal complaint and recall counts for 2021 are absent from the provided record, the generation's trajectory shows a massive spike in problems immediately following, with complaints jumping to 66 in 2022 and 75 in 2023, alongside 6 and 9 recalls respectively. This steep upward trend in defects and technical service bulletins—peaking at 456 in 2022—indicates the 2021 model sits at the very front of an escalating reliability arc before peak issues were officially documented. Its position as a lead-in to this surge implies the 2021 Defender likely harbors the same underlying vulnerabilities that triggered the subsequent wave of federal complaints. Despite having zero crash or fire complaints for 2021, its placement at the onset of this steep defect escalation makes this a risky year to buy unless the specific vehicle has verified proof that all subsequent manufacturer updates and recalls have been applied.

9
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
508
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
34
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 34 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Visibility/Wiper12
Exterior Lighting9
Structure3
Unknown Or Other2
Electrical System1
Electrical System,Exterior Lighting1
Fuel System, Gasoline1
Electrical System,Unknown Or Other,Engine1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 508 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
N869 Defender 16JUN262026-06-16Unknown Or OtherSoftware Over The Air (SOTA) updates are failing to complete. Specifically Vehicle Domain…
N869 Defender 15MAY262026-05-15Unknown Or OtherSoftware Over The Air (SOTA) updates are failing to complete. Specifically Vehicle Domain…
N811 Defender 15MAY262026-05-15Electrical SystemDoor Zone Module - Quiescent Drain
D006 Defender 15MAY262026-05-15Unknown Or OtherThe transfer case clutch and / or All Wheel Drive (AWD) lock cannot perform as designed…
N892v3 - 01MAY262026-05-01EngineArduous customer drive cycles have been found to accelerate the degradation of engine…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Defender 90. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2021 Defender 90 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Defender 90 get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 21 highway / 19 combined mpg.