2022 Land Rover Defender — MOT failures & pass rate
10,681 MOT tests on the 2022 Land Rover Defender are in this dataset, and 93.9% of them passed. Against large SUVs of a similar age (8.6% fail rate), the 2022 Defender comes out 2.5pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and other defects.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.2%) and lighting & signalling (1.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are registration plates, headlamp aim and tread depth — registration plates alone was recorded 142 times.
A 60-90k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 9.4% versus 5.1%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 6.0% of the time against 6.9% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 14.2% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.2% | 338 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.5% | 163 |
| 3 | Other defects | 0.8% | 85 |
| 4 | Visibility | 0.8% | 80 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.6% | 63 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 57 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registration plates | 142 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 122 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 53 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 47 |
| 5 | Wipers | 45 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 43 |
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 | 14.2% | 1,513 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.5% | 692 |
| 3 | Other defects | 3.6% | 386 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.5% | 378 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.7% | 75 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.2% | 26 |
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 | 5,841 | 5.1% |
| 30-60k | 4,456 | 7.3% |
| 60-90k | 361 | 9.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 8,053 | 6.0% |
| Petrol | 1,604 | 6.9% |
| Hybrid | 1,024 | 6.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 333 | 4.2% |
| 2025 | 10,337 | 6.2% |
What to check before buying a 2022 Defender
On a 2022 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 (1.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Other defects (0.8% of tests): Miscellaneous items not in the main categories. Typical repair: varies.
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 2022 Land Rover Defenders pass their MOT?
93.9% of the 10,681 2022 Land Rover Defender MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2022 Land Rover Defender?
Tyres, recorded in 3.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (1.5%).
Does the 2022 Defender get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.1% in the 0-30k band to 9.4% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,681 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.