2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport passed 92.2% of its 6,410 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.0 percentage points better than large SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 8.8%. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.7%) and visibility (2.4%) 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 registration plates — wipers alone was recorded 175 times.
A 60-90k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 12.6% versus 6.0%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 7.7% of the time against 8.0% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 16.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.7% | 299 |
| 2 | Visibility | 2.4% | 153 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.6% | 100 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 0.9% | 57 |
| 5 | Other defects | 0.6% | 41 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.3% | 20 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 175 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 86 |
| 3 | Registration plates | 66 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 65 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 43 |
| 6 | Washers | 24 |
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 | 16.9% | 1,084 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.7% | 749 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.5% | 291 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.3% | 279 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 72 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 42 |
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 | 3,049 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 3,052 | 9.1% |
| 60-90k | 286 | 12.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,928 | 7.7% |
| Diesel | 2,254 | 8.0% |
| Hybrid | 228 | 8.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 177 | 7.3% |
| 2024 | 3,128 | 7.4% |
| 2025 | 3,084 | 8.2% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Range Rover Sport
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 4.7% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (4.7% 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 (2.4% 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.
- Brakes (1.6% 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.
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 Range Rover Sports pass their MOT?
92.2% of the 6,410 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 7.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
Tyres, recorded in 4.7% of tests, followed by visibility (2.4%).
Does the 2021 Range Rover Sport get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.0% in the 0-30k band to 12.6% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,410 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.