2020 Land Rover Discovery — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Land Rover Discovery passed 90.0% of its 20,728 recorded MOT tests. That is effectively the same as large SUVs of a similar age (9.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.4%) and visibility (2.6%) 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 547 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 15.0% versus 8.8%.
The diesel cars hold up better: 9.8% fail against 13.0% for hybrid, a 3.2-point gap across 20,200 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 16.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 13.6% in 2021 to 10.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.4% | 1,115 |
| 2 | Visibility | 2.6% | 531 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.1% | 442 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 1.6% | 327 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 137 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 135 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 547 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 387 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 250 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 153 |
| 5 | Registration plates | 137 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 120 |
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 | 16.5% | 3,416 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.8% | 3,074 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.5% | 1,131 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.4% | 919 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.1% | 431 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.5% | 109 |
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 | 5,310 | 8.8% |
| 30-60k | 11,072 | 10.0% |
| 60-90k | 3,540 | 11.2% |
| 90-120k | 649 | 10.8% |
| 120-150k | 116 | 9.5% |
| 150k+ | 40 | 15.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 19,127 | 9.8% |
| Hybrid | 1,073 | 13.0% |
| Petrol | 524 | 10.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 81 | 13.6% |
| 2022 | 279 | 5.4% |
| 2023 | 6,753 | 9.0% |
| 2024 | 6,780 | 10.4% |
| 2025 | 6,835 | 10.6% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Discovery
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.4% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.4% 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 (2.6% 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.
- Brakes (2.1% 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
How many 2020 Land Rover Discoverys pass their MOT?
90.0% of the 20,728 2020 Land Rover Discovery MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Land Rover Discovery?
Tyres, recorded in 5.4% of tests, followed by visibility (2.6%).
Does the 2020 Discovery get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.8% in the 0-30k band to 15.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 20,728 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.