The third row seats in a small number of 2023 Land Rover Defender 130s could have a bad latch, which may make them a less effective anchor for a child seat, increasing the risk of injury to small children in an accident.
Jaguar Land Rover first became aware of the issue in October 2022, when it was notified by its supplier TS Tech KFT, that there was a concern with the function of the seat back latches in some units.
In November, the automaker decided to hold off on selling vehicles it still had in its possession, waiting for its supplier to update it. At that time, it also started an investigation into how many vehicles that were affected by the potential issue had already been sold.
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By February, it had determined that it needed to recall a total of 812 2023 Land Rover Defender 130s with third row seats built at the Nitra Vehicle Assembly Plant between July 11 and October 6, 2022.
In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, JLR writes that the seat back latches were out of specification, and could result in the seat back not latching properly.
If a child seat is installed, and the top tether is secured to the seat structure, the compromised seat strength could result in the seat back deflecting more than it should, and could expose a small child to an increased risk of injury.
As such, it has decided to start a recall campaign, and will begin notifying owners on April 28. They will be asked to return their vehicle to an authorized dealer, where the third-row seat back latch operation will be checked.
Only two percent of the vehicles are expected to have any problems with the latch, and those vehicles will have their seat frame, and associated components, replaced free of charge to the owner.
