2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport passed 88.0% of its 107,897 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.8 percentage points worse than mid-size SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 10.2%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.2%) and lighting & signalling (3.9%) 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 4,418 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2018 Discovery Sport fails 9.4% of the time in the 0-30k band and 10.9% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.6 points.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 10.7% of the time against 12.1% for diesel.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 24.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.2% | 5,603 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.9% | 4,158 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.8% | 4,137 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.0% | 3,206 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.9% | 2,026 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.6% | 685 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 4,418 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 2,798 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,408 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 1,982 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,783 |
| 6 | Rear fog lamp | 1,186 |
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 | 24.4% | 26,342 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.0% | 25,896 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.5% | 8,072 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.9% | 4,237 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.3% | 3,601 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 929 |
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 | 29,428 | 9.4% |
| 30-60k | 55,006 | 12.4% |
| 60-90k | 19,916 | 14.0% |
| 90-120k | 3,133 | 15.6% |
| 120-150k | 347 | 18.4% |
| 150k+ | 64 | 10.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 98,649 | 12.1% |
| Petrol | 9,243 | 10.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21,979 | 11.2% |
| 2022 | 21,941 | 11.6% |
| 2023 | 21,527 | 12.0% |
| 2024 | 21,214 | 12.4% |
| 2025 | 21,236 | 12.7% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Discovery Sport
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.2% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.2% 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 (3.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.8% 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 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sports pass their MOT?
88.0% of the 107,897 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Tyres, recorded in 5.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.9%).
Does the 2018 Discovery Sport get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.4% in the 0-30k band to 10.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 107,897 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.