Land Rover Defender: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Land Rover Defender fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 3.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 101,073 individual Land Rover Defender tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 73% first-time pass rate means roughly 27 in every 100 Land Rover Defenders presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Land Rover Defender tested had covered 107,827 miles and was built around 2003.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Land Rover Defender sits 3.7 points below the national average, ranked 1,676 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Land Rover Defender rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Land Rover Defenders at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Land Rover Defender

1. A shock absorber bush excessively worn, 4.5% of tests (23.41x the national rate for this defect)
2. Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point, 2.2% of tests (9.44x the national rate for this defect)
3. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.2% of tests (7x the national rate for this defect)
4. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.4% of tests (5.34x the national rate for this defect)
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 3.7% of tests (3.5x the national rate for this defect)
6. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.2% of tests (3.38x the national rate for this defect)
7. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 2.8% of tests (2.98x the national rate for this defect)
8. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.3% of tests (2.56x the national rate for this defect)
9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 3.5% of tests (2.06x the national rate for this defect)
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.5% of tests (1.92x the national rate for this defect)

From 105,772 DVSA-tracked Land Rover Defender tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.12% of these flagged Land Rover Defender defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Land Rover Defender

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Land Rover Defender before it actually fails on it.

1. A seat belt or flexible stalk damaged, 3.3% of tests (28.07x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A shock absorber bush excessively worn, 10.5% of tests (22x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. A seat belt webbing or flexible stalk significantly stretched or weakened, 7.7% of tests (20.05x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 9.4% of tests (14.41x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 6.1% of tests (4.9x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 24.7% of tests (4.44x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 21.9% of tests (3.53x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 4.5% of tests (3.4x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 8% of tests (1.7x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.5% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this advisory)

From 105,772 DVSA-tracked Land Rover Defender tests, 2024.

Land Rover Defender pass rate by model year

From its 1990 to its 2016 model year, the Land Rover Defender's first-time pass rate has risen 17.1 points, from 70.4% to 87.5%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Land Rover Defender year:

• 1990 Land Rover Defender - 70.4% first-time pass, 1,620 tests
• 1991 Land Rover Defender - 72.2% first-time pass, 1,729 tests
• 1992 Land Rover Defender - 68.8% first-time pass, 1,476 tests
• 1993 Land Rover Defender - 70.3% first-time pass, 1,907 tests
• 1994 Land Rover Defender - 67.8% first-time pass, 2,334 tests
• 1995 Land Rover Defender - 68.3% first-time pass, 2,935 tests
• 1996 Land Rover Defender - 68.3% first-time pass, 3,498 tests
• 1997 Land Rover Defender - 70.5% first-time pass, 3,417 tests
• 1998 Land Rover Defender - 70.3% first-time pass, 3,543 tests
• 1999 Land Rover Defender - 67.9% first-time pass, 3,075 tests
• 2000 Land Rover Defender - 68.7% first-time pass, 3,002 tests
• 2001 Land Rover Defender - 68.4% first-time pass, 3,135 tests
• 2002 Land Rover Defender - 69.7% first-time pass, 3,946 tests
• 2003 Land Rover Defender - 68.9% first-time pass, 4,558 tests
• 2004 Land Rover Defender - 70.1% first-time pass, 4,378 tests
• 2005 Land Rover Defender - 70.7% first-time pass, 4,285 tests
• 2006 Land Rover Defender - 71.4% first-time pass, 3,937 tests
• 2007 Land Rover Defender - 71.4% first-time pass, 4,111 tests
• 2008 Land Rover Defender - 74.2% first-time pass, 3,902 tests
• 2009 Land Rover Defender - 72.3% first-time pass, 3,574 tests
• 2010 Land Rover Defender - 74.6% first-time pass, 4,067 tests
• 2011 Land Rover Defender - 74.7% first-time pass, 4,265 tests
• 2012 Land Rover Defender - 77.6% first-time pass, 3,945 tests
• 2013 Land Rover Defender - 78.8% first-time pass, 4,580 tests
• 2014 Land Rover Defender - 82.9% first-time pass, 6,041 tests
• 2015 Land Rover Defender - 86.7% first-time pass, 6,808 tests
• 2016 Land Rover Defender - 87.5% first-time pass, 1,823 tests

Land Rover Defender by fuel type

The Land Rover Defender's two most-tested fuel types split by 2.6 points: diesel passes first time 73.4% of the time (102,585 tests) against 76% for petrol (2,214 tests).

• Diesel Land Rover Defender - 73.4% first-time pass, 102,585 tests
• Petrol Land Rover Defender - 76% first-time pass, 2,214 tests

Other Land Rover models

• Land Rover Discovery - 75.6%
• Land Rover Range Rover Evoque - 84%
• Land Rover Freelander - 70.6%
• Land Rover Range Rover Sport - 82%
• Land Rover Discovery Sport - 84.8%
• Land Rover Range Rover - 79.9%
• Land Rover Range Rover Velar - 86.7%
• Land Rover Range Rover Evoque R-Dyn S D A - 87.8%

Models with a similar pass rate

• BMW 123 - 73.2%
• BMW Z3 - 73.1%
• Fiat Talento - 73.1%
• Toyota Hilux - 73%
• Peugeot 5008 - 73%
• Daihatsu Materia - 73%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• Does a car's age affect its MOT pass rate? We checked 32.6 million tests
• Britain's most and least reliable car brands: MOT pass rate by manufacturer
• Which cars fail their MOT on the most dangerous defects?
• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate