Land Rover Freelander MOT pass rate & common failures
805,467 MOT tests on the Land Rover Freelander (1991–2021) give it a 77.6% pass rate. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail 25.0% of the time, so this is 2.6pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Freelander years
Ranked across Freelander 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
The strongest year on this record is 2014 (86.5% pass rate); the weakest is 1999 (67.6%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (12.3%) and suspension (9.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are track rod end, headlamp aim and position lamp — track rod end alone was recorded 33,262 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.3% in the 0-30k band and 28.2% in the 150k+ band, a 18.9-point spread — more than double.
The diesel cars hold up better: 22.1% fail against 29.0% for petrol, a 6.9-point gap across 805,443 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 26.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 21.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Freelander model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 49 | 67.3% | 32.6% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 1,807 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Brakes |
| 1999 | 2,472 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Brakes |
| 2000 | 4,068 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Brakes |
| 2001 | 10,391 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 20,312 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 27,780 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 41,993 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 48,125 | 69.8% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 48,913 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 93,461 | 75.2% | 24.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 71,380 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 62,627 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 88,014 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 74,311 | 82.2% | 17.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 62,980 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 79,188 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 66,973 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 287 | 86.4% | 13.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 202 | 85.2% | 14.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 30 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 31 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.3% | 99,042 |
| 2 | Suspension | 9.8% | 78,705 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.8% | 70,673 |
| 4 | Steering | 4.5% | 36,215 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.7% | 29,794 |
| 6 | Tyres | 3.6% | 28,836 |
| 7 | Visibility | 3.2% | 25,823 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 13,104 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track rod end | 33,262 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 32,757 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 28,373 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 27,783 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 25,038 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 21,527 |
| 7 | Rigid brake pipes | 21,123 |
| 8 | Linkage ball joints | 18,730 |
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 | 26.9% | 216,451 |
| 2 | Suspension | 24.7% | 198,873 |
| 3 | Tyres | 22.0% | 177,259 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.5% | 76,432 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.8% | 70,930 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 8.4% | 68,015 |
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 | 5,688 | 9.3% |
| 30-60k | 56,724 | 11.7% |
| 60-90k | 159,670 | 16.8% |
| 90-120k | 233,712 | 22.2% |
| 120-150k | 198,715 | 25.9% |
| 150k+ | 150,298 | 28.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 772,010 | 22.1% |
| Petrol | 33,433 | 29.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 182,989 | 21.6% |
| 2022 | 172,221 | 21.7% |
| 2023 | 161,668 | 22.3% |
| 2024 | 150,378 | 23.2% |
| 2025 | 138,211 | 23.4% |
What to check before buying a Land Rover Freelander
- Lighting & signalling (12.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (9.8% 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 (8.8% 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 Freelander?
77.6% of the 805,467 Land Rover Freelander MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 22.4% fail rate, across model years 1991–2021.
What does the Land Rover Freelander most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.3% of tests, then suspension (9.8%).
Which Freelander years are best and worst for MOT results?
2014 has the best pass rate at 86.5% and 1999 the weakest at 67.6%, from 66,973 and 2,472 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Freelander MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.2% for 150k+, a 18.9-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Freelander more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 22.1% of the time against 29.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 805,467 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.