RegVerdict Model Intelligence
Land Rover Defender reliability
MOT pass rates & common faults·187,077 DVSA tests·2024
Across 187,077 real DVSA MOT tests in 2024, 66% of Land Rover Defender cars aged 13 years and older pass their MOT first time, ahead of the 61% average for all cars of that age. The faults that come up more than usual are in steering.
66%
Strong for its agepass first time (13 years and older)
Strong for its age · beats 58% of peers
+5.7 pts
MOT pass rate by age
8 to 12 years
35,936 tests · fleet 73%
79%
13 years and older
151,141 tests · fleet 61%
66%
Where the Defender fails
Suspension94
Brakes95
Body & structure95
Steering95
Tyres99
Lights & electrics90
Fails more often on steering. Holds up better on tyres, road wheels, emissions & leaks.
Share of 13 years and older Land Rover Defender MOTs with no fault in each area; the marker shows the fleet average. OGL v3.0.
How it tends to age
How the Land Rover Defender tends to age
The MOT areas flagged most often on Land Rover Defender models 13 years and older. It is the model’s typical pattern across millions of tests, not a forecast for this specific car.
- Lights & electrics · flagged on ~10% of MOTs
- Suspension · flagged on ~6% of MOTs
- Body & structure · flagged on ~5% of MOTs
- Brakes · flagged on ~5% of MOTs
Common questions
Is the Land Rover Defender reliable?
On 2024 MOT data the Land Rover Defender holds up well for its age: 66% of examples aged 13 years and older pass first time, against a 61% fleet average. That puts it ahead of 58% of similar-age models. Give steering a close look on any one you view.
What is the MOT pass rate for a Land Rover Defender?
First-time MOT pass rates for the Land Rover Defender in 2024: 8 to 12 years, 79%; and 13 years and older, 66%. Pass rates fall with age across the whole fleet, so compare each figure with cars of the same age, not with a new car.
What commonly fails on a Land Rover Defender MOT?
For Land Rover Defender cars aged 13 years and older, the areas that fail an MOT more often than the fleet average are steering (4.9% of tests vs 2.3% fleet).
Other Land Rover models
Check a Land Rover Defender’s full history