2017 Land Rover Discovery — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 56,268 MOT tests, the 2017 Land Rover Discovery recorded an 87.9% pass rate. That is effectively the same as large SUVs of a similar age (11.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in tyres, brakes and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.9%) and brakes (3.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, wipers and ball joint dust cover — brake pads alone was recorded 1,560 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 8.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 16.7% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 12.1% of the time against 13.1% for petrol.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 20.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.9% | 2,748 |
| 2 | Brakes | 3.6% | 2,034 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.5% | 1,417 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.1% | 1,175 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 1.6% | 881 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 643 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 1,560 |
| 2 | Wipers | 1,419 |
| 3 | Ball joint dust cover | 1,021 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 890 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 850 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 556 |
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 | 20.7% | 11,624 |
| 2 | Tyres | 17.3% | 9,748 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.8% | 4,375 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.0% | 3,373 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.8% | 2,121 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.4% | 785 |
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 | 4,973 | 8.9% |
| 30-60k | 25,928 | 11.0% |
| 60-90k | 18,406 | 13.3% |
| 90-120k | 5,663 | 15.5% |
| 120-150k | 1,066 | 15.4% |
| 150k+ | 227 | 16.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 54,669 | 12.1% |
| Petrol | 1,597 | 13.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,550 | 10.3% |
| 2022 | 11,370 | 11.0% |
| 2023 | 11,167 | 12.1% |
| 2024 | 11,088 | 13.2% |
| 2025 | 11,093 | 14.0% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Discovery
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 4.9% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (4.9% 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.
- Brakes (3.6% 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.
- Visibility (2.5% 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 2017 Land Rover Discoverys pass their MOT?
87.9% of the 56,268 2017 Land Rover Discovery MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Land Rover Discovery?
Tyres, recorded in 4.9% of tests, followed by brakes (3.6%).
Does the 2017 Discovery get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.9% in the 0-30k band to 16.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 56,268 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.