Land Rover
3,559 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Defender SE D Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 16.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
94.0%
Pass-after-fix
0.5%
Fail
5.1%
Avg miles
37,019
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 · 3,559 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Defender SE D Auto examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
93.9%
Fail
5.2%
PRS
0.6%
Avg mileage at test
37,962 mi
Pass
94.6%
Fail
4.5%
PRS
0.3%
Avg mileage at test
32,600 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 969 MOT tests, the Defender Se D Auto returns 91.1% 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 28,868, 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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A tyre seriously damaged
56 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
46 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
42 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Wiper blade defective
27 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
12 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
11 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning
9 occurrences · 0.3% 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
8 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
8 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud
8 occurrences · 0.2% 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 3 failures
£115–£240
If every one of this Defender SE 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 →
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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 SE D Auto makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
94.6%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 94.6% — a 0.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 32,600 miles — roughly 5K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not conform to the specified requirements, blade defective — 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
93.9%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 93.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.6% 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 does not conform to the specified requirements. Average mileage on test for this band is 37,962 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (94.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (93.9% pass). That's a 0.7-point spread across 2,931 older tests and 628 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
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · 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 SE 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.
