2023 Land Rover Defender — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 545 MOT tests, the 2023 Land Rover Defender recorded a 97.6% pass rate. That is 4.2 percentage points better than large SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 6.6%. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (1.1%) and visibility (0.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wheel bearings, service brake performance and washers — wheel bearings alone was recorded 2 times.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 1.1% | 6 |
| 2 | Visibility | 0.4% | 2 |
| 3 | Brakes | 0.4% | 2 |
| 4 | Suspension | 0.4% | 2 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.2% | 1 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.2% | 1 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheel bearings | 2 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 2 |
| 3 | Washers | 2 |
| 4 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 1 |
| 5 | Decelerometer (sp) | 1 |
| 6 | Registration plates | 1 |
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 | 5.5% | 30 |
| 2 | Visibility | 1.8% | 10 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.8% | 10 |
| 4 | Other defects | 1.3% | 7 |
| 5 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.2% | 1 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.2% | 1 |
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 | 379 | 1.8% |
| 30-60k | 153 | 3.9% |
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 438 | 2.1% |
| Petrol | 70 | 2.9% |
| Hybrid | 37 | 5.4% |
What to check before buying a 2023 Defender
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 1.1% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (1.1% 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.
- Visibility (0.4% 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.
- Brakes (0.4% 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 2023 Land Rover Defenders pass their MOT?
97.6% of the 545 2023 Land Rover Defender MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 2.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2023 Land Rover Defender?
Tyres, recorded in 1.1% of tests, followed by visibility (0.4%).
Does the 2023 Defender get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 1.8% in the 0-30k band to 3.9% in the 30-60k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 545 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.