1982 Land Rover 88 — MOT failures & pass rate
1,376 MOT tests on the 1982 Land Rover 88 are in this dataset, and 74.7% of them passed. That is 6.8 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 18.5%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 20.3% of tests against 10.3% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are washers, service brake performance and headlamp aim — washers alone was recorded 106 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 1982 88 fails 25.3% of the time in the 0-30k band and 25.7% at 90-120k, a spread of only 0.4 points.
The petrol cars hold up better: 23.4% fail against 28.4% for diesel, a 5.0-point gap across 1,373 tests.
Emissions & environmental is the most common advisory, noted on 30.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 27.0% in 2021 to 24.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 20.3% | 279 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.3% | 142 |
| 3 | Visibility | 9.5% | 131 |
| 4 | Suspension | 8.8% | 121 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.5% | 90 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.3% | 86 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washers | 106 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 105 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 87 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 84 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 81 |
| 6 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 72 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emissions & environmental | 30.7% | 422 |
| 2 | Suspension | 20.1% | 277 |
| 3 | Brakes | 13.3% | 183 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.4% | 157 |
| 5 | Steering | 8.7% | 120 |
| 6 | Tyres | 8.5% | 117 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 427 | 25.3% |
| 30-60k | 315 | 25.7% |
| 60-90k | 451 | 25.3% |
| 90-120k | 144 | 25.7% |
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 866 | 23.4% |
| Diesel | 507 | 28.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 477 | 27.0% |
| 2022 | 422 | 25.4% |
| 2023 | 224 | 24.1% |
| 2024 | 137 | 21.9% |
| 2025 | 116 | 24.1% |
What to check before buying a 1982 88
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 20.3% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (20.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.3% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Visibility (9.5% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 1982 Land Rover 88s pass their MOT?
74.7% of the 1,376 1982 Land Rover 88 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 25.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1982 Land Rover 88?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 20.3% of tests, followed by brakes (10.3%).
Does the 1982 88 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 25.3% in the 0-30k band to 25.7% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,376 MOT tests. 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.