The Real Reason America Banned The Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender is one of the most iconic off-road British vehicles ever made. It was first introduced in 1983 as a four-wheel-drive vehicle that borrowed its design from the original Land Rover, which first entered production three years after the end of World War II. In fact, the Land Rover Defender was so reliable in desert terrains that it was briefly used by the U.S. military during the Gulf War in the early 1990s (via AutoEvolution).

For a vehicle that has been produced over 2 million times, it's a shame that the Land Rover Defender was banned in America — except for a few models that were sold domestically between 1993 to 1997. Apparently, if you're caught driving a Land Rover Defender that is on the NHTSA blacklist, the car will be seized by the authorities and destroyed (as seen in the video below). It begs the question: What is the real reason America banned the Land Rover Defender? 

The 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 was sold in the United States, but it was extensively modified to meet the safety regulations required by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Unlike the models that were sold abroad, the U.S. version of the Land Rover Defender 110 was fitted with brush guards, a roof rack, an external roll cage, and an air conditioning system (via Autoweek). The Land Rover Defender 90 was introduced to the North American market the next year to replace the 110 models.

As fate would have it, Land Rover's dream to continue selling the Defender 90 in the United States was cut short in 1998 when new airbag regulations came into effect. As per the regulation, all new vehicles sold in the United States were to be fitted with airbags on the front passenger and driver seats. Ironically, Land Rover installed dual airbags in other models that were available in the North American market, like the Discovery (via the IIHS). The Defender wasn't given the same treatment, so it was ultimately banned because it couldn't meet the safety regulations.

After the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act was enforced in 1988, it became illegal for U.S. citizens to import vehicles from overseas that were not sold in the United States. This means that any Land Rover Defender that was not officially released in the United States was banned. However, there is a loophole — you can bring in a Land Rover Defender that was not sold in the United States 25 years after it was produced.

The other exception to importing a vehicle sold in overseas markets is for "show or display" purposes; this allows you to bring in a vehicle with technological or historical significance. According to NHTSA, you can only bring in the 2016 Land Rover Defender Celebration Heritage and 2016 Land Rover Defender Celebration Autobiography for show or display.

The Land Rover Defender is not the only car to run afoul of the import regulations in the United States. Other cars such as the Aston Martin Virage and the Lamborghini Diablo Strosek were banned from import by U.S. regulations as well. The Virage was banned for reasons similar to the Land Rover Defender – lack of safety features, along with the fact that the Virage didn't meet emission standards. On the other hand, the Lamborghini Diablo Strosek was banned because it was too fast for American roads, though the unique modifications Strosek made to the car's headlamps and rearview mirrors didn't help the Diablo's standing with regulators.

While the Land Rover Defender only enjoyed a brief window of availability in the U.S. before it was banned, there's some good news on that front. The Defender line has recently made a comeback in the United States, first with the arrival of the Defender 110 in 2020 and then Defender 90 in 2021.

We've had the chance to drive both, and we found that the 2020 Land Rover 110 marked a solid return for a brand that had been absent from U.S. roads for more than two decades. The 2021 Land Rover 90 impressed as well, despite the fact that it's a two-door SUV that may not be what most people imagine when they hear the words "Land Rover." Hollywood rolled out the red carpet for the return of the Defender, as the SUV was featured in the "James Bond" film "No Time To Die," and Land Rover even sold a Defender Bond Edition based on the car that appeared in the movie.

So, even though the Land Rover Defender suffered a prolonged absence from the United States, it seems those days are well and truly behind us. The Land Rover Defender is back and arguably as good as it's ever been, and this time around, the brand has the green light from U.S. regulators backing it up.