2004 Land Rover Range Rover — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 20,118 MOT tests, the 2004 Land Rover Range Rover recorded a 75.7% pass rate. That is effectively the same as large SUVs of a similar age (25.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in suspension, brakes and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (13.5%) and brakes (12.6%) 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 1,658 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2004 Range Rover fails 28.0% of the time in the 0-30k band and 24.5% at 150k+, a spread of only 3.5 points.
The petrol cars hold up better: 22.7% fail against 25.1% for diesel, a 2.4-point gap across 20,090 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 38.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 24.8% in 2021 to 23.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.5% | 2,710 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.6% | 2,526 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 6.9% | 1,382 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.8% | 1,366 |
| 5 | Tyres | 3.6% | 730 |
| 6 | Steering | 3.5% | 709 |
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 | 1,658 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 1,593 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 1,111 |
| 4 | Joints | 715 |
| 5 | Decelerometer (sp) | 641 |
| 6 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 614 |
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 | 38.4% | 7,728 |
| 2 | Brakes | 35.2% | 7,080 |
| 3 | Tyres | 22.0% | 4,434 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 18.0% | 3,630 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 16.3% | 3,271 |
| 6 | Visibility | 7.8% | 1,564 |
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 | 692 | 28.0% |
| 30-60k | 319 | 18.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,335 | 20.4% |
| 90-120k | 3,778 | 22.1% |
| 120-150k | 5,856 | 24.4% |
| 150k+ | 6,686 | 24.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 13,929 | 25.1% |
| Petrol | 6,161 | 22.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,531 | 24.8% |
| 2022 | 4,906 | 24.6% |
| 2023 | 3,979 | 24.4% |
| 2024 | 3,205 | 24.1% |
| 2025 | 2,497 | 23.1% |
What to check before buying a 2004 Range Rover
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 13.5% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (13.5% 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 (12.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (6.9% 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 2004 Land Rover Range Rovers pass their MOT?
75.7% of the 20,118 2004 Land Rover Range Rover MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 24.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2004 Land Rover Range Rover?
Suspension, recorded in 13.5% of tests, followed by brakes (12.6%).
Does the 2004 Range Rover get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 28.0% in the 0-30k band to 24.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 20,118 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.