A defect is an imperfection or insufficiency, which may be present in a product, property, process, or legal document. In product liability law, there are three general types of defects—defects of design, manufacturing, or marketing. A design defect refers to a flaw inherent in a product itself, while a manufacturing defect refers to an unintended deficiency resultant from the production process. A marketing defect may be related to inadequate warnings or instructions regarding a product’s proper use. In real estate, a latent defect refers to a deficiency, which is present at the time a property is accepted but does not manifest itself upon a reasonable inspection. A defective legal document is one that fails to comply with relevant procedural or jurisdictional requirements, and therefore may be rendered legally invalid as a result.
[Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]