2019 Land Rover Discovery Sport — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 77,004 MOT tests, the 2019 Land Rover Discovery Sport recorded an 87.6% pass rate. Against mid-size SUVs of a similar age (9.4% fail rate), the 2019 Discovery Sport comes out 2.9pp worse. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.7%) and visibility (4.2%) 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 3,566 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.0% versus 10.1%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 12.2% of the time against 12.4% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 23.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.7% | 4,406 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.2% | 3,229 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 2,474 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.6% | 1,971 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 1,382 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.8% | 625 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 3,566 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 1,764 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 1,455 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,215 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 1,082 |
| 6 | Rear fog lamp | 768 |
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 | 23.9% | 18,427 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.2% | 16,293 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.1% | 5,476 |
| 4 | Suspension | 6.5% | 5,019 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.2% | 3,197 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.0% | 763 |
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 | 26,514 | 10.1% |
| 30-60k | 40,393 | 13.3% |
| 60-90k | 9,020 | 14.7% |
| 90-120k | 959 | 15.4% |
| 120-150k | 100 | 20.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 68,962 | 12.4% |
| Petrol | 8,042 | 12.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 675 | 6.8% |
| 2022 | 19,486 | 11.6% |
| 2023 | 19,230 | 12.4% |
| 2024 | 18,731 | 12.7% |
| 2025 | 18,882 | 13.1% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Discovery Sport
On a 2019 Discovery Sport, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.7% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (5.7% 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 (4.2% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£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 2019 Land Rover Discovery Sports pass their MOT?
87.6% of the 77,004 2019 Land Rover Discovery Sport MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Tyres, recorded in 5.7% of tests, followed by visibility (4.2%).
Does the 2019 Discovery Sport get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.1% in the 0-30k band to 20.0% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 77,004 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.