2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 37,536 MOT tests, the 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport recorded an 87.6% pass rate. Against mid-size SUVs of a similar age (8.8% fail rate), the 2020 Discovery Sport comes out 3.6pp worse. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.6%) 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, malfunction indicator lamp and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 1,669 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.8% in the 0-30k band and 17.6% in the 90-120k band, a 7.8-point spread.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.3pp more often than petrol ones (12.7% vs 10.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 19.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.0% of tests failed in 2022 against 12.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.6% | 2,466 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.2% | 1,585 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 2.1% | 788 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 723 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.6% | 613 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.1% | 400 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 1,669 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 657 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 512 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 471 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 256 |
| 6 | Washers | 216 |
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 | 19.4% | 7,291 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.0% | 5,630 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.2% | 3,088 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.8% | 2,171 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.3% | 1,628 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.4% | 526 |
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 | 16,344 | 9.8% |
| 30-60k | 18,737 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 2,277 | 16.6% |
| 90-120k | 165 | 17.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 31,713 | 12.7% |
| Petrol | 5,787 | 10.4% |
| Hybrid | 36 | 2.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 497 | 6.0% |
| 2023 | 12,313 | 11.5% |
| 2024 | 12,373 | 13.1% |
| 2025 | 12,330 | 12.7% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Discovery Sport
On a 2020 Discovery Sport, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 6.6% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (6.6% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (2.1% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sports pass their MOT?
87.6% of the 37,536 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Tyres, recorded in 6.6% of tests, followed by visibility (4.2%).
Does the 2020 Discovery Sport get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.8% in the 0-30k band to 17.6% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 37,536 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.