Land Rover Discovery MOT pass rate & common failures
The Land Rover Discovery appears in 925,322 MOT tests spanning model years 1984–2025, and 81.1% of them passed. Large SUVs of a similar age fail at 18.6%, so the Discovery sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Discovery years
Ranked across Discovery years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 90.2% of 2019 examples pass against 73.9% of 2001 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.8%) and suspension (7.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, headlamp aim and rigid brake pipes — pins and bushes alone was recorded 46,036 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.2% in the 0-30k band and 24.3% in the 150k+ band, a 16.1-point spread — more than double.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 12.7% fail against 20.0% for petrol, a 7.3-point gap across 25,581 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 25.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 20.0% in 2021 to 17.8% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Discovery model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 76 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 551 | 81.8% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 689 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 981 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 2,245 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 4,241 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 5,470 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 6,295 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 7,390 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 8,210 | 76.5% | 23.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 14,647 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 16,530 | 74.8% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 25,431 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 31,388 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 38,453 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 43,201 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 52,604 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 52,735 | 75.0% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 45,530 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 32,966 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 33,431 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 40,532 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 37,440 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 41,748 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 38,517 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 44,301 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 54,096 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 56,592 | 87.0% | 13.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 56,268 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 47,470 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 35,363 | 90.2% | 9.8% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 20,728 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 21,495 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 7,395 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 278 | 91.4% | 8.6% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.8% | 81,376 |
| 2 | Suspension | 7.8% | 71,805 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.1% | 65,749 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.1% | 46,726 |
| 5 | Tyres | 3.7% | 34,568 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.1% | 28,620 |
| 7 | Steering | 2.0% | 18,676 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 16,428 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 46,036 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 27,869 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 27,042 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 25,711 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 20,483 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 18,333 |
| 7 | Wipers | 18,135 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 17,436 |
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 | 25.2% | 232,865 |
| 2 | Suspension | 22.6% | 208,754 |
| 3 | Tyres | 18.1% | 167,554 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.9% | 110,582 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 10.1% | 93,762 |
| 6 | Other defects | 10.1% | 93,035 |
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 | 43,035 | 8.2% |
| 30-60k | 138,129 | 11.0% |
| 60-90k | 152,125 | 14.9% |
| 90-120k | 172,425 | 19.8% |
| 120-150k | 181,595 | 22.9% |
| 150k+ | 237,456 | 24.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 899,667 | 18.9% |
| Petrol | 20,158 | 20.0% |
| Hybrid | 5,423 | 12.7% |
| Gas/LPG | 61 | 36.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 191,025 | 20.0% |
| 2022 | 189,688 | 19.2% |
| 2023 | 184,171 | 18.9% |
| 2024 | 182,526 | 18.6% |
| 2025 | 177,912 | 17.8% |
What to check before buying a Land Rover Discovery
- Lighting & signalling (8.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (7.8% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (7.1% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Land Rover Discovery?
81.1% of the 925,322 Land Rover Discovery MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 18.9% fail rate, across model years 1984–2025.
What does the Land Rover Discovery most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.8% of tests, then suspension (7.8%).
Which Discovery years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 90.2% and 2001 the weakest at 73.9%, from 35,363 and 25,431 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Discovery MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 24.3% for 150k+, a 16.1-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Discovery more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 12.7% of the time against 20.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 925,322 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.