2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 130,619 MOT tests, the 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport recorded an 87.8% pass rate. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail at 11.8%, so the 2017 Discovery Sport sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.8%) and lighting & signalling (4.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, brake pads and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 4,216 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 17.5% once past 150k.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 1.6pp more often than petrol ones (12.2% vs 10.6%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 25.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 11.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.8% | 6,221 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.4% | 5,734 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.4% | 4,423 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.1% | 4,052 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 2,292 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.2% | 1,572 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 4,216 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 3,615 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,678 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 2,124 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,904 |
| 6 | Rear fog lamp | 1,618 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 25.1% | 32,722 |
| 2 | Tyres | 23.1% | 30,196 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.0% | 9,129 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.8% | 4,951 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.1% | 4,103 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 1,400 |
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 | 16,674 | 9.2% |
| 30-60k | 66,222 | 11.6% |
| 60-90k | 38,256 | 13.7% |
| 90-120k | 8,260 | 15.3% |
| 120-150k | 1,012 | 15.2% |
| 150k+ | 189 | 17.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 128,794 | 12.2% |
| Petrol | 1,825 | 10.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26,339 | 11.2% |
| 2022 | 26,348 | 11.6% |
| 2023 | 26,150 | 12.1% |
| 2024 | 25,988 | 12.7% |
| 2025 | 25,794 | 13.4% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Discovery Sport
On a 2017 Discovery Sport, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (4.8% 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 (4.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.4% 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.
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 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sports pass their MOT?
87.8% of the 130,619 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Tyres, recorded in 4.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (4.4%).
Does the 2017 Discovery Sport get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.2% in the 0-30k band to 17.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 130,619 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.