Land Rover
2,143 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Defender Hse D Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.0 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
92.5%
Pass-after-fix
1.5%
Fail
5.6%
Avg miles
40,137
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered from September 2015 generally meet Euro 6 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,143 tests
Pass rate climbs 4.8 points across the cohorts — newer Defender Hse D Auto examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
92.1%
Fail
5.8%
PRS
1.6%
Avg mileage at test
40,913 mi
Pass
96.9%
Fail
3.1%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
30,691 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 645 MOT tests, the Defender Hse D Auto returns 90.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A seriously damaged tyre and a non-conforming number plate round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 31,282, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
36–46
out of 50
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
31 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
27 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
25 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
9 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
9 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Wiper blade defective
8 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
7 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
6 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
6 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
6 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£140–£255
If every one of this Defender Hse D Auto's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 4.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Land Rover Defender Hse D Auto has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
96.9%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 96.9% — a 4.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 30,691 miles — roughly 10K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
92.1%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 92.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 96.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has ply or cords exposed, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 40,913 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (96.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (92.1% pass). That's a 4.8-point spread across 1,981 older tests and 162 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
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Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Defender Hse D Auto and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
