I have had a similar problem where adjustment at the hinge was the fix not at door lock mechanism.
Land rover defender door lock problems.
But before blaming a faulty latch there are a few other points to check which can all affect whether the door shuts flush with the bodywork or fails to latch onto the striker in the door frame or.
If the door still has the rain shield in place the view might not be very good.
All i can say is good luck.
As i said though that is with my county 110.
If so the latch is either faulty or needs adjustment.
I am not sure of the defender mechanism but if it is anything like the 110 it could be door positioning from the hinge.
There s one single clip thay may have broken meaning the door isn t unlocked as the rod pulling the locking mechanism isn t connected.
You need to get into the inside of the door and it won t be easy.
This project started with a simple premise.
I ve just replaced two on my 110.
But if you re still unable to turn the key that means the barrel handle is a t fault and needs replacing.
Back door lock repair defender central locking malfunction land rover defender repair series les sous titres en francais sont disponible dans les param.
Tolerate the leaks lack of power and precision swear up and down they are the best 4x4 ever built.
Then you have two types of owners.