2020 Land Rover Defender — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Land Rover Defender passed 92.0% of its 13,651 recorded MOT tests. Large SUVs of a similar age fail 9.3% of the time, so this is 1.3pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.2%) and lighting & signalling (2.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, registration plates and brake pads — headlamp aim alone was recorded 205 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 19.5% versus 5.4%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 6.8% of the time against 8.2% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 14.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 16.3% in 2021 to 8.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.2% | 434 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.7% | 368 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.4% | 188 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 164 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.1% | 144 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.8% | 104 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 205 |
| 2 | Registration plates | 180 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 165 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 145 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 130 |
| 6 | Washers | 77 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 14.5% | 1,974 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.3% | 1,672 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.3% | 587 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.6% | 496 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 158 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.1% | 147 |
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 | 4,698 | 5.4% |
| 30-60k | 7,320 | 8.7% |
| 60-90k | 1,377 | 11.9% |
| 90-120k | 169 | 10.1% |
| 120-150k | 45 | 22.2% |
| 150k+ | 41 | 19.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 11,452 | 8.2% |
| Petrol | 2,172 | 6.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 332 | 16.3% |
| 2022 | 137 | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 4,291 | 7.0% |
| 2024 | 4,400 | 8.0% |
| 2025 | 4,491 | 8.5% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Defender
On a 2020 Defender, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 3.2% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (3.2% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (2.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (1.4% 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.
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 2020 Land Rover Defenders pass their MOT?
92.0% of the 13,651 2020 Land Rover Defender MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Land Rover Defender?
Tyres, recorded in 3.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.7%).
Does the 2020 Defender get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.4% in the 0-30k band to 19.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 13,651 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.