Wildbear 4x4 - Redditch

Buster

Wildbear4x4 NAS Rear Tow Bar and Step Review

I purchased a Wildbear NAS rear tow bar and step for my 2015 Land Rover Defender, expecting a high-quality product and service. Unfortunately, my experience with the product and the company has been deeply disappointing, and I feel it's important to share my concerns.

Background and Expectations
This is the third NAS step I’ve fitted to my Defender, and I have never encountered any issues with fitting in the past. My Defender, which I’ve owned since new, has accurate and true dimensions. I’ve even compared the measurements and offsets of my vehicle to those of my friends’ Defenders, all of which align perfectly. This confirms the issue lies with the product, not my vehicle.

Product Quality
To Wildbear’s credit, the steel used in the step is thick, and the powder coating appears durable. However, this does not compensate for the significant design and fabrication issues that rendered the step incompatible with my vehicle out of the box.

The Fitting Issue
I waited about a month to fit the step due to work commitments. When I finally attempted the installation, I found that the step would not align properly with the rear cross member—it was physically hitting the body before it could be mounted. This was not a minor misalignment; it was clear evidence of a fabrication error.

Given that I’ve successfully fitted other NAS steps to this very same vehicle, the issue is undoubtedly with the Wildbear product.

Customer Service and Response
Here is where my experience went from frustrating to unacceptable. I contacted Wildbear to report the issue, but their communication was appalling. It took a month of back-and-forth messages and persistent attempts on my part to even get a response. When they finally replied, they refused to acknowledge that the issue could be a fabrication defect.

Their only offered solution was for me to return the product. This decision also took weeks to arrive at and came after repeated delays and radio silence. Given my time constraints and the urgent need for a functioning tow setup for my job, returning the product was not a practical option as i was meant to be away in two days time and had to be able to tow.

Forced Modifications
Out of desperation, I had to modify the product myself. I ended up grinding down the right-side support bracket and over-drilling several mounting holes to force the step to fit. While this made the step usable, it is not as it should be, and the exposed metal now requires recoating to prevent rust—a task I can’t address immediately due to work commitments.

The Bigger Picture
What’s most disappointing is Wildbear’s complete lack of accountability. Despite clear evidence of a design or manufacturing defect, they refused to replace the item or acknowledge the problem. Their dismissive attitude and slow, unresponsive communication made an already frustrating situation even worse.

In hindsight, I deeply regret selling my previous NAS tow bar with a Class 1 hitch. Unfortunately, I needed a square Class 2 hitch for work in Europe, which led me to purchase the Wildbear product.

Conclusion and Recommendation
This experience has been a costly lesson. I cannot recommend Wildbear products based on this ordeal. Their customer service is severely lacking, and their unwillingness to stand behind their product is unacceptable.

If you are in the market for a NAS rear step or tow bar, I urge you to explore other options. Many alternatives are available on platforms like eBay or from reputable sellers who understand the importance of quality and customer service.

As for me, I will be replacing this now Frankenstein step as soon as I return from work in Europe. I would advise anyone considering a Wildbear product to think twice—you might end up with more problems than solutions.

Nick N. (.

Made a couple purchases now with no issues , great products with quick turn around.
Very happy with the powder coat and build quality.

Calum T.

Very pleasant and smooth transaction, will be looking here first for any bits in the future. Thank you!

Archie B.

Very helpful people, went to collect my wrap around discovery 2 bumper and the boss met me there on a Sunday out of hours, couldn’t do enough for me! Was very easy to fit and a great looking sturdy product happy customer👍🏻

Louise T.

Absolutely fantastic customer service. We bought a winch bumper two years ago yes TWO years ago. Only just got round to fitting it, to find no cover plate in the box. Emailed Andy and next day we received a reply and a plate in the post. Doesn't get any better than that.

Sophie

I bought a bumper from wildbear4x4 last year and I have nothing but positive feedback for both the product and the customer service! My bumper has had a battering off road and has held up so well. My questions and queries were answered straight away when contacting them. I could not recommend them more, very friendly and very helpful!

Mark W.

I’ve followed Wildbear 4x4 on Facebook and Instagram for a while now as their products looked great quality. I decided to purchase a aluminium compressor guard, sump guard & transmission guard in dark grey powder coat for my Land Rover discovery 4 as I wanted to fit some protection for the underside of my vehicle for when off roading.
The customer service from ordering to receiving the products was brilliant and Andy & Jen are extremely helpful. The quality and craftsman ship is excellent and the parts are easy to fit and look fantastic, i will be recommending these guys to everyone!

Tempest S.

Had a D2 winch bumper close fit and love it and fantastic value for money. Everything came with it so fitting was quite easy. Will I be buying from you folks again, damn right I will. Keep up the great work fellas