2021 Land Rover Discovery — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 21,495 MOT tests, the 2021 Land Rover Discovery recorded an 89.8% pass rate. That is 1.4 percentage points worse than large SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 8.8%. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.2%) and visibility (3.4%) 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 841 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 2.9% versus 8.1%.
Split by fuel, hybrid examples fail 2.5pp more often than diesel ones (12.3% vs 9.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 17.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.2% | 1,327 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.4% | 736 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 400 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.6% | 337 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 108 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.5% | 101 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 841 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 379 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 244 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 153 |
| 5 | Registration plates | 129 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 91 |
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 | 17.9% | 3,856 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.9% | 3,202 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.8% | 1,022 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.6% | 980 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.0% | 642 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.5% | 105 |
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 | 7,080 | 8.1% |
| 30-60k | 12,081 | 11.3% |
| 60-90k | 2,042 | 11.6% |
| 90-120k | 247 | 11.7% |
| 120-150k | 34 | 2.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 17,706 | 9.9% |
| Hybrid | 2,890 | 12.3% |
| Petrol | 899 | 10.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30 | 6.7% |
| 2023 | 588 | 6.5% |
| 2024 | 10,496 | 10.4% |
| 2025 | 10,378 | 10.3% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Discovery
On a 2021 Discovery, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 6.2% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (6.2% 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 (3.4% 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 Discoverys pass their MOT?
89.8% of the 21,495 2021 Land Rover Discovery MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Land Rover Discovery?
Tyres, recorded in 6.2% of tests, followed by visibility (3.4%).
Does the 2021 Discovery get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.1% in the 0-30k band to 2.9% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 21,495 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.