Diesel Land Rover Defender: MOT pass rate
73.4% of diesel Land Rover Defenders pass the MOT first time, measured across 102,585 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 110,795.
Diesel against the other Land Rover Defender versions
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 73.4% | 102,585 |
| Petrol | 76% | 2,214 |
| All Land Rover Defender | 73.5% | 104,958 |
Why the fuel type changes the number
Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.
On the Land Rover Defender specifically, petrol is the strongest at 76%, and this diesel version sits 0.1 points below the 73.5% model average.
What it means if you are buying one
There is little to choose between fuel types on this model, so decide on running costs and mileage rather than MOT record. Check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.
Mileage is part of the answer
The average diesel Land Rover Defender had covered 110,795 miles at test, against 95,287 for the petrol. That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself.
Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Land Rover Defender page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.