Land Rover bulletin D089 Defender 18SEP26
What it saysThe engine coolant temperature amber warning is not enabled and not displayed on the instrument panel cluster. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Land Rover filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Sep 18, 2026, received Oct 7, 2026, about the engine. It names 1 model year (2026). A manufacturer communication is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThe engine coolant temperature amber warning is not enabled and not displayed on the instrument panel cluster.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D089 Defender 18SEP26 | Other | Sep 18, 2026 | 11038342 | PDF, 176 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
The transmission has failed twice while the vehicle was in motion, causing loss of gear control and, on one occasion, loss of parking brake function. Incident 1 — March 24, 2026: While driving on the highway, the transmission failed and the vehicle entered a "safety mode." The vehicle was in dealer service for 8 days at Findlay Land…
2026 Land Rover Defender · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jul 8, 2026 · ODI 11749201
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group50 other manufacturer communications filed against the Land Rover Defender under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Land Rover list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| D011 Defender 18SEP26 | Other | Sep 18, 2026 | Coolant Bypass Hose Leak |
| D061 Defender 21AUG26 | Other | Aug 21, 2026 | Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak |
| D061 Defender 17JUL26 | Other | Jul 17, 2026 | Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak |
| D011 Defender 17JUL26 | Other | Jul 17, 2026 | Coolant Bypass Hose Leak |
| D089 Defender 16JUN26 | Other | Jun 16, 2026 | A Car Configuration File (CCF) update is required, the engine coolant temperature amber warning will then be displayed on the instrument pan… |
| D061 Defender 16JUN26 | Other | Jun 16, 2026 | Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak |
| D061 Defender 15MAY26 | Other | May 15, 2026 | Turbocharger Coolant Feed / Return Leak |
| N892v3 - 01MAY26 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2026 | Arduous customer drive cycles have been found to accelerate the degradation of engine oil, leading to generation of engine oil sludge deposi… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Land Rover, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Land Rover D089 Defender 18SEP26 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the D089 Defender 18SEP26 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does D089 Defender 18SEP26 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2026 Land Rover Defender. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.