Land Rover
2,593 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Defender S D Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 16.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
94.3%
Pass-after-fix
1.2%
Fail
4.4%
Avg miles
37,677
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 · 2,593 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Defender S D Auto examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
94.3%
Fail
4.5%
PRS
1.2%
Avg mileage at test
37,885 mi
Pass
93.4%
Fail
4.1%
PRS
1.6%
Avg mileage at test
35,677 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 759 MOT tests, the Defender S D Auto returns 90.5% 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 29,941, 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
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
43 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
26 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
25 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
11 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
11 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber
11 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
10 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
8 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
7 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
£75–£130
If every one of this Defender S 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. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Land Rover Defender S D Auto makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
94.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 94.3% — a 0.9-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, does not conform to the specified requirements — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
93.4%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 93.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and blade defective. Average mileage on test for this band is 35,677 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (94.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (93.4% pass). That's a 0.9-point spread across 244 older tests and 2,349 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
MOT-spec replacement number plate
Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · 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
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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 S 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.
