BMW X5 vs Land Rover Defender
On MOT-testable defects the BMW X5 comes out ahead: 16.3% of its tests record a failure against 20.9% for the Land Rover Defender, a 4.7-point gap. The biggest single difference is lighting & signalling, where the Defender records failures noticeably more often.
16.3%
X5 fail rate
20.9%
Defender fail rate
4.7pp
Difference
Side by side
| Metric | BMW X5 | Land Rover Defender |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests analysed | 526,447 | 669,569 |
| Pass rate | 83.8% | 79.0% |
| Fail rate | 16.3% | 20.9% |
Where they differ
| Category | X5 | Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 14.1% |
| Tyres | 6.4% | 0.0% |
| Steering | 0.0% | 6.4% |
| Body, structure & corrosion | 0.0% | 6.0% |
| Visibility | 3.0% | 0.0% |
| Brakes | 4.6% | 7.0% |
| Suspension | 5.4% | 7.7% |
Methodology & source. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.