Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 76,323 tests

Pass rate drops 3.5 points across the cohorts — recent Range Rover Velar examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.

Pre-2018 cohort 22,509

Pass

88.6%

Fail

8.7%

PRS

2.3%

Avg mileage at test

56,157 mi

2018–2020 cohort 53,160

Pass

88.3%

Fail

8.3%

PRS

2.9%

Avg mileage at test

44,968 mi

2021+ cohort 654

Pass

85.0%

Fail

10.6%

PRS

4.0%

Avg mileage at test

31,427 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Land Rover Range Rover Velar: solid MOT record across 31,779 tests

The Land Rover Range Rover Velar is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 31,779 tests puts this car on an 85.5% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 39,348 miles. The most common fail item is inoperative wiper blade, followed by damaged tyre sidewall or structure.

For many, the sleek looks and classy cabin will trump any thoughts about the cost of the Velar. A range of engine options, including a plug-in hybrid, help the Velar's case, and it is well equipped.

For used buyers, the Range Rover Velar's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 36–46

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

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

1,001 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
02

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

901 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
03

A tyre seriously damaged

892 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
04

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

848 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
05

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

824 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

Wiper blade defective

722 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
07

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

519 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

432 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
09

Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

277 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
10

Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

267 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 3 failures

£160–£300

If every one of this Range Rover Velar'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy Land Rover Range Rover Velar has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

88.6%

Pre-2018 registration

the older band (pre-2018) climbs to 88.6% — a 3.5-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: ball joint has excessive play, 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.

Band to be cautious about

85.0%

2021+ registration

On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 85.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: does not clear the windscreen effectively, has ply or cords exposed, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 31,427 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: pre-2018 (88.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (85.0% pass). That's a 3.5-point spread across 654 older tests and 22,509 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

Wonderfully plush and modern interior, latest touchscreen system is a vast improvement, as comfortable as you'd expect from a Range Rover.

Where it falls short

2.0-litre diesel doesn't go with the premium feel, noticeable lean in corners despite the sporty pretensions. Report of build quality problems.

Recent owner-reported faults

10 Jan 2023
Report of steering fault on 2017 Velar. Amber warning light appeared suggesting power assistance to the steering is compromised and the steering was heavy and unusable. The owner has been quoted over £2000 to replace the steering rack. [For 2025 Land Rover Defender 90 2Door Roof Rack Luggage Cargo Carriers For Land Rover Defender 90 Roof Rack Luggage Cargo Carriers All BLACK 2025+ 100% new product. 100 Brand new. Brand new packaging. Never u...eBay](https://www.bing.com/api/v1/mediation/tracking?adUnit=11725462&auId=65146acc-ce87-4942-85b5-b5a95d85ca2e&bdc=pb&bidId=10&bidderId=4&cmExpId=RSV&impId=731307654&impTy=1&ldc=rhf2oc
6 Jun 2019
Report of February 2019 Rand Rover Velar with 2,400 kilometers in the JLR dealer at Monaco for repairs since 16th May 2019. Repaired by 6th June 2016 and dealer wants owner to take it away.
6 May 2019
Report of balancer shaft whine in July 2018 Range Rover Velar Ingenium 2.0 diesel requiring an engine strip down and replacement.
13 Mar 2018
Complaints of driveline vibration on Velar and F-Pace fitted with 3.0V6 Diesel engine. One owner rejected 2x FPace 3L diesel and now has Velar 3L diesel with exact same issue. Velar is built on F-Pace production line; they are sister cars, same driveline. JLR released a replacement steel bracket in place of the Aluminium one for the half shaft, this has quietened the noise on the F-Pace, but this bracket has not yet been released for fitting to the Velar.
18 Jan 2018
Report of numerous faults with Range Rover Velar two weeks after delivery in September 2017. Back to dealer with red warning light stop vehicle. Faulty wiring apparently. Back to dealer two weeks later: start stop / kick boot not working / rubber seal sticking out of bodywork / infotainment not working. Owner got car back then back to dealer one week later: infotainment still not working / start stop not working / tailgate not working / satnav not working / surround camera system not available and then the doors handle frost protection stopped working. RR executive office well aware of all faults as owner has been in contact with them. Owner not had car for seven weeks of the 12 weeks he owned it. Land Rover keep telling him the new software release is coming but each new version fails to solve problems.

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 5 reports indexed

Recall history

14 UK recalls on record.

The Range Rover Velar has 14 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Range Rover Velar?

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 Range Rover Velar 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.