At a glance
How 5,278 first tests went in 2025.
- Passed first time
- 63 in every 100
- Did not pass first time
- 37 in every 1001,953 failed first-attempt tests
- The typical car
- 18 yearsabout 153,038 miles
- First tests counted
- 5,278
What failed most often
- Individual sidelight or tail light (front)16 in every 100 failed tests
- Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear)11 in every 100 failed tests
- Drive shaft joints and boots (front)9 in every 100 failed tests
How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.
These are patterns across 2007 Land Rover Discovery vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.
Brakes
Four faults. The strongest is the electronic parking brake: 44 times as often as on similar cars.
Figures below are measured across the 1,952 of 1,953 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.
We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.
Electronic parking brake
What it means
An electronic parking brake is applied electronically but must still be maintained in operation by direct mechanical means. It may apply automatically in certain conditions, such as when the ignition is switched off or when the driver's door is opened. A control that is missing, defective or inoperative is Major, and so is a malfunction warning.
Handbrake efficiency below minimum (decelerometer test)
Flexible brake hoses (front)
What it means
Testers reject a flexible brake hose for being excessively damaged or chafed only if it is severe enough to expose the reinforcement. Slight damage, chafing or twisting is graded Minor. A leak is graded Dangerous on a hydraulic braking system and Major on an air system, and a hose damaged and likely to fail is also Dangerous.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 132 first tests, 3.2 times as often as on similar cars.
Brake performance not tested
What it means
A brake performance test recorded as unable to be tested is Major. DVSA says the result must only be used where it becomes apparent during the test that the item cannot be tested, and this could not have been identified before starting. The reason has to go in the additional information box.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.
Body and structure
Two faults. The strongest is the propeller shaft: 32 times as often as on similar cars.
Propeller shaft
What it means
A transmission shaft likely to become detached is graded Dangerous, and so is a shaft bearing likely to break up. Loose or missing securing bolts, an excessively worn bearing, or a shaft that is bent or badly damaged are graded Major. The inspection covers prop shafts, drive shafts, their couplings and bearings, and drive chains or belts, except on vehicles in a test class the manual exempts.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 21 first tests, 13 times as often as on similar cars.
Chassis condition (rear)
What it means
A main load-bearing structural member that is fractured, deformed, modified or inadequately repaired is Major when structural rigidity is significantly reduced, and Dangerous where steering or braking is likely to be adversely affected. Corrosion of the body, cab or chassis at a mounting point is Dangerous where overall security or stability is impaired.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 104 first tests, 3.8 times as often as on similar cars.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.
Suspension
Three faults. The strongest is the suspension arm pins and bushes (rear): 8.8 times as often as on similar cars.
Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear)
What it means
Pins and bushes on suspension arms fail as Major when they are excessively worn. They are graded Dangerous when likely to become detached. DVSA uses the same wording for a suspension joint.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 169 first tests, 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.
Suspension arm (rear)
What it means
A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a suspension arm. A component that is fractured, missing or likely to fail is graded Dangerous, and one excessively damaged or corroded is Major. On some vehicles, some highly stressed parts are thin pressed steel, and many of those have hollow box sections or up-facing areas that can collect road dirt and salt, so they get special attention.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 185 first tests, 3.1 times as often as on similar cars.
Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (rear)
What it means
Excessive wear on an anti-roll bar linkage ball joint is Major. A joint likely to become detached is graded Dangerous.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 66 first tests, 2.3 times as often as on similar cars.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.
Seat belts and restraints
One fault: seat belt mounting area (rear), 4.6 times as often as on similar cars.
Seat belt mounting area (rear)
What it means
A seat belt anchorage likely to become detached in the event of a collision is graded Dangerous. The load bearing structure near an anchorage, called a prescribed area, is Major when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Anchorage points are inspected for all seat belts fitted, except a belt with no corresponding seat.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 26 first tests, 6.5 times as often as on similar cars.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.
Advisories
Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.
An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.
Suspension arm ball joint (rear)
Seat belt condition (rear)
Anti-roll bar ball joint (rear)
Wheel bearings (rear)
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
MOT pass rates
How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.
- Passed first time
- 63in every 100
- Passed on the first test.
- Fixed at the station
- 7in every 100
- Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
- Failed
- 30in every 100
- Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.
First-attempt pass 63.0% of 5,278 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 70.1%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 7 fixed and the 30 not fixed make the 37 in every 100 that did not pass first time.
Same model, other years
Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.
Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 62 in every 100 passed first time.
| Year | Passed first time | First tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 74 in every 100 | 523 |
| 1995 | 69 in every 100 | 671 |
| 1996 | 72 in every 100 | 746 |
| 1997 | 70 in every 100 | 864 |
| 1998 | 68 in every 100 | 927 |
| 1999 | 66 in every 100 | 1,637 |
| 2000 | 64 in every 100 | 1,759 |
| 2001 | 64 in every 100 | 2,861 |
| 2002 | 65 in every 100 | 3,652 |
| 2003 | 66 in every 100 | 4,666 |
| 2004 | 65 in every 100 | 5,295 |
| 2005 | 64 in every 100 | 6,295 |
| 2006 | 61 in every 100 | 6,150 |
| 2007 This car | 63 in every 100 | 5,278 |
| 2008 | 64 in every 100 | 4,086 |
| 2009 | 66 in every 100 | 4,486 |
| 2010 | 70 in every 100 | 5,608 |
| 2011 | 71 in every 100 | 5,453 |
| 2012 | 72 in every 100 | 6,239 |
| 2013 | 74 in every 100 | 5,951 |
| 2014 | 77 in every 100 | 7,006 |
| 2015 | 79 in every 100 | 8,703 |
| 2016 | 80 in every 100 | 9,189 |
| 2017 | 82 in every 100 | 9,170 |
| 2018 | 85 in every 100 | 8,001 |
| 2019 | 86 in every 100 | 7,476 |
| 2020 | 86 in every 100 | 5,898 |
| 2021 | 86 in every 100 | 6,395 |
| 2022 | 87 in every 100 | 3,933 |
If you are buying one
What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.
Mileage makes a modest difference on a 2007 Discovery.
Of 2007 Discovery vehicles with under 122,000 miles, 68 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 186,000 miles or more, 62 in every 100 did.
What to check at your mileage
How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.
| Under 122,000 | 144,000–163,000 | 186,000 and over | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual sidelight or tail light (front) | 5.0 | 6.3 | 6.0 |
| Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear) | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.0 |
| Drive shaft joints and boots (front) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
| Brake light | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| Headlight aim | 1.7 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.
When a car fails
of failed cars had one item to fix.
of failed cars had three or more items to fix.
of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).
Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.
FAQs
Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.
About this data
How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.
These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.
What we include
UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.
Same-day repairs
PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.
How we compare
We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.
What this does not cover
- MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
- Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
- Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
- If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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