Symptoms
Wet carpets, water dripping from vents or door tops.
Likely cause
Perished door seals, windscreen frame seal, vent flap seals and roof seals.
Suggested fixes
Listed roughly in the order most owners try them.
- 1
Replace door seals
Fit new seals and adjust door strikers.
- Difficulty:
- Easy DIY
- Cost:
- £ (Under about £50 in parts)
- 2
Replace the windscreen seal
Replace the seal and reseal with a sealant.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate DIY
- Cost:
- £ (Under about £50 in parts)
This is general guidance gathered from owner experience and workshop practice, not a substitute for a workshop manual or a qualified mechanic. Costs are rough parts-only guides. Brakes, steering and suspension work affects safety, so if in doubt have it checked professionally.
Related faults
- Chassis & bodyHigh severity
Bulkhead footwell and door pillar rot
Holes in footwells, bubbling around door pillars, water leaks into the cabin.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - Chassis & bodyHigh severity
Rear crossmember and outrigger rot
Holes or flaking in the rear crossmember and outriggers, MOT failure.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender3 fixes - Chassis & bodyMedium severity
Windscreen frame rot
Rust in the bottom corners of the windscreen frame, water leaks.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - Chassis & bodyLow severity
Bubbling aluminium body panels
White powdery corrosion and bubbling along panel edges.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes