Land Rover Defender MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Land Rover Defender took 106,817 MOT tests in Britain and passed 68% of them first time, below the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 106,817
- First-time pass rate
- 68%
- All cars
- 71%
What the Defender fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics17.6% (all cars 11.3%)
- Suspension9.5% (all cars 9.0%)
- Brakes8.7% (all cars 6.8%)
- Steering8.0% (all cars 1.8%)
- Body and structure7.4% (all cars 3.5%)
- Visibility6.8% (all cars 4.8%)
- Exhaust and emissions2.6% (all cars 3.1%)
- Tyres1.8% (all cars 6.4%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Position lamp: not working 4.0%
- Stop lamp: not working 2.9%
- Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush 2.8%
- Rear fog lamp: not working 2.6%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 2.5%
- Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded 2.2%
- Headlamp aim: too high 2.0%
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 1.8%
Most common advisories
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 15.2%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 12.9%
- Wheel bearings: has slight play 6.9%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 6.6%
- Shock absorbers: has a slightly worn bush 6.5%
- Seat belts, condition: webbing slightly damaged or frayed 5.6%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 5.3%
- Transmission oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 5.1%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 796 | 70% |
| 1985 | 1,321 | 68% |
| 1986 | 1,742 | 66% |
| 1987 | 1,664 | 63% |
| 1988 | 1,461 | 64% |
| 1989 | 1,918 | 65% |
| 1990 | 1,637 | 66% |
| 1991 | 1,718 | 63% |
| 1992 | 1,487 | 64% |
| 1993 | 1,927 | 64% |
| 1994 | 2,356 | 63% |
| 1995 | 2,889 | 64% |
| 1996 | 3,523 | 63% |
| 1997 | 3,405 | 62% |
| 1998 | 3,504 | 66% |
| 1999 | 3,057 | 64% |
| 2000 | 2,998 | 62% |
| 2001 | 3,163 | 63% |
| 2002 | 3,836 | 64% |
| 2003 | 4,338 | 64% |
| 2004 | 4,209 | 65% |
| 2005 | 4,114 | 65% |
| 2006 | 3,723 | 65% |
| 2007 | 3,937 | 67% |
| 2008 | 3,701 | 67% |
| 2009 | 3,483 | 66% |
| 2010 | 3,963 | 68% |
| 2011 | 3,903 | 69% |
| 2012 | 3,832 | 70% |
| 2013 | 4,314 | 73% |
| 2014 | 5,790 | 77% |
| 2015 | 6,601 | 79% |
| 2016 | 1,801 | 83% |
| 2020 | 4,031 | 91% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 3 years | 29,246 miles |
| 7 years | 31,380 miles |
| 8 years | 44,959 miles |
| 9 years | 54,720 miles |
| 10 years | 62,019 miles |
| 11 years | 67,607 miles |
| 12 years | 78,123 miles |
| 13 years | 80,883 miles |
| 14 years | 86,419 miles |
| 15 years | 93,606 miles |
| 16 years | 98,782 miles |
| 17 years | 104,147 miles |
| 18 years | 110,968 miles |
| 19 years | 117,245 miles |
| 20 years | 124,492 miles |
Check a particular Defender
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Land Rover models
- Land Rover Discovery
- Land Rover Range Rover
- Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
- Land Rover Freelander
- Land Rover Range Rover Velar
- Land Rover 88
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.