Land Rover Defender Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Land Rover Defender fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 203,426 MOT tests across 29 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: performance | Fuel: Hybrid, Diesel, LPG
79%
Land Rover Defender pass rate
90%
Land Rover average
82%
All-model average
The Land Rover Defender has an average MOT pass rate of 79%, which is 11 points below the Land Rover average and 3 points below the average across all models in our data. Newer Land Rover Defenders pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 9 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Land Rover Defender Fails Its MOT On
Of the 30,667 MOT tests on the Land Rover Defender that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Lights and electrics
55%Cars and vans the same age: 47% · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
30%Cars and vans the same age: 36% · Typical repair £150-£600
Brakes
27%Cars and vans the same age: 29% · Typical repair £80-£450
Body, chassis and structure
24%Cars and vans the same age: 21% · Typical repair £200-£1200
Steering
23%Cars and vans the same age: 9.8% (the Defender fails on this more often) · Typical repair £100-£500
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Position lamp: not working (12% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Stop lamp: not working (8.7% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Shock absorber bush excessively worn (8.2% of failed tests, suspension)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Land Rover Defender Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Defender year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Land Rover Defender Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
| Year | Fuel | Engine | Pass Rate | Fail Rate | All Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Hybrid | 3.0L | 97% | 3% | - |
| 2020 | Diesel | 2.0L | 97% | 1% | - |
| 2016 | Diesel | 2.2L | 91% | 9% | 86% (+5) |
| 2015 | Diesel | 2.2L | 89% | 10% | 84% (+5) |
| 2014 | Diesel | 2.5L | 87% | 13% | 82% (+5) |
| 2013 | Diesel | 2.5L | 84% | 15% | 80% (+4) |
| 2012 | Diesel | 2.4L | 83% | 16% | 79% (+4) |
| 2011 | Diesel | 3.0L | 81% | 18% | 77% (+4) |
| 2010 | Diesel | 2.4L | 80% | 19% | 75% (+5) |
| 2009 | Diesel | 2.4L | 79% | 20% | 75% (+4) |
| 2008 | Diesel | 2.4L | 81% | 19% | 74% (+7) |
| 2007 | Diesel | 2.5L | 79% | 20% | 73% (+6) |
| 2006 | Diesel | 2.5L | 78% | 21% | 73% (+5) |
| 2005 | Diesel | 2.5L | 77% | 22% | 73% (+4) |
| 2004 | Diesel | 2.5L | 77% | 22% | 72% (+5) |
| 2003 | Diesel | 2.5L | 77% | 23% | 72% (+5) |
| 2002 | Diesel | 2.5L | 77% | 22% | 73% (+4) |
| 2001 | Diesel | 2.5L | 75% | 24% | 73% (+2) |
| 2000 | Diesel | 2.5L | 75% | 24% | 74% (+1) |
| 1999 | Diesel | 2.5L | 75% | 24% | 75% (0) |
| 1998 | LPG | 3.5L | 76% | 23% | 76% (0) |
| 1997 | Diesel | 2.5L | 76% | 23% | 76% (0) |
| 1996 | Diesel | 25.0L | 74% | 25% | 77% (-3) |
| 1995 | Diesel | 2.5L | 74% | 25% | 77% (-3) |
| 1994 | Diesel | 2.5L | 74% | 25% | 78% (-4) |
| 1993 | Diesel | 3.5L | 76% | 23% | 77% (-1) |
| 1992 | Diesel | 2.5L | 74% | 25% | 78% (-4) |
| 1991 | Diesel | 2.5L | 76% | 23% | 79% (-3) |
| 1990 | Diesel | 3.5L | 75% | 24% | 80% (-5) |
Land Rover Defender Running Costs
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Land Rover Defender FAQ
What are the most common Land Rover Defender problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Land Rover Defender that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (55% of the 30,667 failed tests), suspension (30%) and brakes (27%). The single most common fault was "Position lamp: not working" (12%). Across 203,426 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 79% ended in a pass.
Is the Land Rover Defender reliable?
The Land Rover Defender has an average MOT pass rate of 79%, from 203,426 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed within 2 points of other cars of the same age, so about average for its age.
Which Land Rover Defender years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 1990 (75% of 5,027 tests passed, against 80% for all 1990 cars), the 1994 (74% of 7,092 tests passed, against 78% for all 1994 cars) and the 1992 (74% of 4,530 tests passed, against 78% for all 1992 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. The years that passed most often for their age were the 2008 (81% of 7,024 tests passed, against 74% for all 2008 cars), the 2007 (79% of 7,656 tests passed, against 73% for all 2007 cars) and the 2015 (89% of 12,411 tests passed, against 84% for all 2015 cars). A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Land Rover Defender faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Land Rover Defender typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Land Rover Models
Common problems pages for other Land Rover models