2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport — MOT failures & pass rate
7,456 MOT tests on the 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport are in this dataset, and 87.6% of them passed. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail 8.1% of the time, so this is 4.3pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.8%) and visibility (5.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 414 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.6% in the 0-30k band and 18.3% in the 60-90k band, a 8.8-point spread.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 12.0% of the time against 12.7% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 18.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 4.5% of tests failed in 2023 against 12.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.8% | 503 |
| 2 | Visibility | 5.4% | 405 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 141 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.7% | 123 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.3% | 95 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.5% | 41 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 414 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 96 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 91 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 85 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 78 |
| 6 | Washers | 67 |
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 | 18.6% | 1,383 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.9% | 1,257 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.9% | 443 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.7% | 350 |
| 5 | Suspension | 4.7% | 349 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.9% | 69 |
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 | 3,463 | 9.6% |
| 30-60k | 3,644 | 14.6% |
| 60-90k | 322 | 18.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 4,244 | 12.7% |
| Petrol | 2,756 | 12.0% |
| Hybrid | 456 | 12.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 220 | 4.5% |
| 2024 | 3,622 | 13.0% |
| 2025 | 3,599 | 12.3% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Discovery Sport
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 6.8% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (6.8% 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.
- Visibility (5.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (1.9% 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 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sports pass their MOT?
87.6% of the 7,456 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Tyres, recorded in 6.8% of tests, followed by visibility (5.4%).
Does the 2021 Discovery Sport get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.6% in the 0-30k band to 18.3% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,456 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.