2002 Land Rover Range Rover — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 10,519 MOT tests, the 2002 Land Rover Range Rover recorded a 76.6% pass rate. That is 1.9 percentage points better than large SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 25.3%. Failures cluster in suspension, brakes and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (12.8%) and brakes (12.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, rigid brake pipes and ball joint — pins and bushes alone was recorded 747 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2002 Range Rover fails 25.6% of the time in the 0-30k band and 24.2% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.5 points.
The petrol cars hold up better: 22.0% fail against 24.9% for diesel, a 2.9-point gap across 10,474 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 35.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 24.0% in 2021 to 21.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.8% | 1,343 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.4% | 1,310 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 8.6% | 900 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.1% | 746 |
| 5 | Tyres | 3.7% | 388 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 3.6% | 380 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 747 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 728 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 537 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 328 |
| 5 | Joints | 304 |
| 6 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 302 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 35.0% | 3,678 |
| 2 | Brakes | 33.1% | 3,487 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 26.7% | 2,807 |
| 4 | Tyres | 20.3% | 2,134 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 15.0% | 1,577 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 8.1% | 849 |
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 | 234 | 25.6% |
| 30-60k | 182 | 13.2% |
| 60-90k | 967 | 17.7% |
| 90-120k | 1,910 | 21.3% |
| 120-150k | 3,020 | 23.4% |
| 150k+ | 3,535 | 24.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,483 | 22.0% |
| Diesel | 4,991 | 24.9% |
| Gas/LPG | 34 | 8.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,125 | 24.0% |
| 2022 | 2,577 | 24.2% |
| 2023 | 2,080 | 23.9% |
| 2024 | 1,517 | 21.5% |
| 2025 | 1,220 | 21.4% |
What to check before buying a 2002 Range Rover
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 12.8% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (12.8% 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 (12.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (8.6% 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 2002 Land Rover Range Rovers pass their MOT?
76.6% of the 10,519 2002 Land Rover Range Rover MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 23.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2002 Land Rover Range Rover?
Suspension, recorded in 12.8% of tests, followed by brakes (12.4%).
Does the 2002 Range Rover get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 25.6% in the 0-30k band to 24.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,519 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.