A new safety campaign puts several of Land Rover's most popular SUVs under the microscope. The British firm announced a recall in the United States that affects 250,857 vehicles due to a problem that could affect the operation of the driver's airbag in the event of a collision.

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The measure involves units manufactured between the 2020 and 2026 model years of the Defender, Discovery and Range Rover families. Although so far there have been no accidents or injured people related to this defect, the company decided to intervene preventively to avoid any risk.

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The investigation revealed that the origin of the problem is in a small component of the steering system, whose degradation over time could prevent the airbag from acting correctly when it is most needed.

A connector that can compromise security

According to information presented to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the problem is found in the steering wheel's clockspring, an element responsible for maintaining the electrical connection between different systems while the steering wheel rotates.

With use, this connector can suffer corrosion, increasing the electrical resistance of the circuit. If this condition progresses, there is a possibility that the driver's airbag may not deploy during an impact.

The manufacturer's estimate indicates that the 250,857 units included in the campaign incorporate this component, which is why a massive review was chosen.

The models that are part of the recall

The campaign covers the Land Rover Defender from model years 2020 to 2026, the Discovery manufactured between 2021 and 2026 and the Range Rover corresponding to models 2022 to 2026.

This means that a significant portion of the SUVs recently marketed in the United States will have to go through an authorized dealer to receive the corresponding correction.

Land Rover clarified that the goal is to ensure that the protection system works as designed if an accident occurs.

There is a warning before the fault appears

Before the connector reaches a critical level of corrosion, the vehicle can warn the driver using the airbag warning light.

The brand's technical research indicates that this alert usually appears between 300 and 400 miles before deterioration can affect the operation of the system, offering enough time to schedule the review.

So far, the company has not received reports of crashes or injuries related to this defect, although it decided to act preventively to reduce any possibility of risk.

The repair will be free

Land Rover will begin sending notifications to owners starting August 7. The communication will explain the problem detected and indicate the procedure for going to an official dealer.

The solution does not include replacing the entire airbag system. Technicians will apply a special lubricant to the connector terminals to prevent corrosion and ensure a correct electrical connection.

The brand also indicated that the most recently produced units already incorporate this protection from the assembly line.

Owners of a Defender, Discovery or Range Rover included in the affected model years will be able to check if their vehicle is part of this campaign by checking the vehicle identification number (VIN) in the official NHTSA database before requesting repair.