The Range Rover. Once age and mileage are allowed for, Range Rovers pass the MOT first time 5.1 points more often than Defenders. The best bets are Range Rovers registered from 2005 onwards, and Defenders registered 2005 to 2016 and 2020 to 2022. No years of either stand out as ones to avoid.
| Range Rover | Land Rover Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Passed first time, cars registered 2014 to 2021 | 85.2% | 84.0% |
| Against the average car of the same age and mileage | +8.7 points | +3.6 points |
| Years to avoid | None stand out | None stand out |
| Best years | 2005 to 2022 | 2005 to 2016 and 2020 to 2022 |
| Fails most often, against the average car | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems: 1.3 times as often | Steering: 2.1 times as often |
| Most common failure | Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Sidelights and rear lights: not working |
| MOTs in 2025 | 77,172 | 70,635 |
How often cars from each registration year passed the MOT first time, against the average car of the same age and mileage. The figure is the difference in percentage points.
Each block is a registration year: the year the car was first used. Tap or hover over one for its figures. Blank means too few MOTs that year.
Points against the average car of the same age and mileage, with each year's most common failure. Less than 1.5 points apart counts as either.
| Registered | Range Rover | Defender | Better bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +14.9Suspension pins and bushes (pin or bush excessively worn) | +10.2Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2006 | +13.6Suspension pins and bushes (pin or bush excessively worn) | +9.6Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2007 | +14.5Suspension pins and bushes (pin or bush excessively worn) | +9.4Shock absorbers (has an excessively worn bush) | Range Rover |
| 2008 | +15.5Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | +10.5Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2009 | +15.7Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | +8.9Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2010 | +16.9Suspension pins and bushes (pin or bush excessively worn) | +7.4Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2011 | +14.3Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | +6.4Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2012 | +12.9Suspension pins and bushes (pin or bush excessively worn) | +4.8Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2013 | +14.4Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | +3.2Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2014 | +16.3Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | +3.4Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2015 | +12.5Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | +2.8Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2016 | +7.9Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | +3.0Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Range Rover |
| 2017 | +7.7Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Too few MOTs | |
| 2018 | +8.3Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2019 | +6.1Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2020 | +3.6Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +3.6Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Either |
| 2021 | +2.8Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +4.6Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Defender |
| 2022 | +1.9Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +4.0Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Defender |
How often each passed the MOT first time against the average car of the same age and mileage, in points. Over 120,000 miles: Range Rovers 13.8 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, Defenders 8.5 points above.
| Range Rover | Defender | Better bet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30k miles | +1.8 | +3.5 | Defender |
| 30–60k miles | +5.8 | +4.1 | Range Rover |
| 60–90k miles | +11.4 | +6.2 | Range Rover |
| 90–120k miles | +14.7 | +9.1 | Range Rover |
| 120k+ miles | +13.8 | +8.5 | Range Rover |
| Range Rover | Defender | Better bet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | +10.2 | +3.9 | Range Rover |
| Diesel | +11.3 | +5.8 | Range Rover |
| Hybrid | +4.1 | +3.5 | Either |
Each fuel is compared with the average car of the same age and mileage, whatever its fuel. Rows with fewer than 500 MOTs for either car are left out.
How often each failed on every area of the test, against the average car of the same age and mileage. All registration years.
| Area | Range Rover: failed | Against average | Defender: failed | Against average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 6.6% | 0.6× | 5.1% | 0.6× |
| Steering | 0.6% | 0.3× | 4.0% | 2.1× |
| Brakes | 5.2% | 0.7× | 5.6% | 0.9× |
| Tyres | 4.9% | 0.7× | 2.2% | 0.4× |
| Lights & electrics | 3.5% | 0.3× | 11.0% | 1.0× |
| Visibility | 2.4% | 0.5× | 4.1% | 0.9× |
| Body & structure | 2.9% | 0.8× | 2.9% | 0.8× |
| Emissions & leaks | 1.5% | 0.4× | 1.7% | 0.5× |
The failures testers found most often on each, against the average car of the same age and mileage. Both charts use the same scale.
What testers most often noted as advisories on each: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for the average car of the same age and mileage.
The Range Rover
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, Range Rovers passed the MOT first time 8.7 points above the average car of the same age and mileage and Defenders 3.6 points above: 5.1 points between them.
+8.7points against the average car of the same age and mileage
+3.6points against the average car of the same age and mileage
Going by the MOT, the Range Rover is. For cars registered 2014 to 2021, 85.2% of Range Rovers passed first time, 8.7 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, against 84.0% of Defenders, 3.6 points above.
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of the average car of the same age and mileage, or ahead of it.
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of the average car of the same age and mileage, or ahead of it.
Over 120,000 miles: Range Rovers 13.8 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, Defenders 8.5 points above. So the Range Rover holds up better.
Range Rover: brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick), on 1.8% of MOTs against 2.0% for the average car of the same age and mileage. Defender: sidelights and rear lights (not working), on 2.8% of MOTs against 2.7% for the average car of the same age and mileage.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data: 77,172 Range Rover MOTs and 70,635 Defender MOTs. Retests are left out.
Against the average car. Each model is compared with the average car of the same age and mileage, not with each other directly, so a newer or lower-mileage model doesn't win for that alone.
Which is more reliable. The answer uses cars registered 2014 to 2021, the same years for both, as the rivals table on each model page does. Less than 1.5 points apart counts as level.