Today's trail report

Land Rover recalls Defender and Discovery over a converter that can quit at start-up — software fix, no stop-ride order

By The OffRoading.News Desk

Good morning. Start with the recall, because it is the item that touches a machine you might drive off pavement. NHTSA campaign 26V-599 covers, among other Jaguar Land Rover models, the Land Rover Defender for model years 2020–2024 and the Land Rover Discovery for 2021–2024 as stated by NHTSA. The agency says the DC-DC converter may malfunction from an electrical overload during high power demand, and that a software error can cause the converter to stop functioning at vehicle start-up under certain circumstances. This is not a stop-ride recall. The remedy is a free dealer software update; Land Rover expects to mail interim letters warning owners of the safety risk on November 13, 2026, with further letters once the final fix is ready. Owners can reach Land Rover customer service at 800-637-6837; the manufacturer's number for the recall is E008, and NHTSA says it expands earlier recall 26V248. If you own one of these trucks, wait for the letter and book the update — do not treat a start-up that goes fine today as proof the fault is not present.

On land use: BLM Wyoming lifted fire restrictions in the Wind River Big Horn Basin District effective September 23, 2026, per the bureau's own announcement. That is the land manager's call for that district only; conditions and rules elsewhere are decided separately, so check the manager for wherever you are headed.

Also from the trails, Outside reports that a UTV driver survived a 250-foot fall down a slope in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado, with rescuers using lighting drones and a technical rope system to reach them — a reminder of what steep terrain does to a machine that gets away from you.

In products and industry, Off-Road.com covered the Lexus LX 700h Overtrail as a stock overlanding contender and Jeep buying the "Official 4x4 of Moab" title for $225,000 a year, and reported Detroit 4Fest drawing an estimated 5,000 people to Holly Oaks ORV Park. Dirt Wheels reports Can-Am and Farm Rescue launching a three-year partnership that includes Defender UTVs. The Drive notes KW Suspensions' new off-road lift kit for the Porsche 996 and 997 at $5,429. RideApart covered a Joey Ruiter side-by-side built on a Can-Am SxS and Triumph's new TXP electric youth dirt bikes; Powersports Business reports the 2027 KTM 450 Rally Replica heading to U.S. dealers, National Powersports Distributors adopting Ekho's AI sales agent, and Carscoops reports a possible 420-hp Hurricane-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee for 2028.