Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 4,699 tests analysed

Land Rover Freelander 2006: reliability & common MOT faults

2,249 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2006 Land Rover Freelander in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Position lamp (front) and Registration plate lamp(s). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

2006 Freelanders break the Freelander's own run — at 52.1% they land 2.2 pp below the midpoint of the 2005 and 2007 cars either side.

First-attempt pass

52.1%

of 4,699 first tests (2025)

First tests

4,699

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,249

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

13.0%

Position lamp (front)

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

52.1%

of 4,699 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

60.2%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

4,699

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 19.0 yrs · median mileage 128,739 mi

vs 2024: +2.0 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 2,244 of 2,249 failed first attempts (99.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Suspension arm (front) — 4.5% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 100 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 13× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Suspension arm (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Suspension arm
 Front 100 ×13 4.5% Strong
Decelerometer (sp)
Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake efficiency (sp) > Decelerometer (sp)
 Any 102 ×11 4.5% Strong
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 129 ×3.3 5.7% Likely
Registration plate lamp(s) (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Registration plate lamp(s)
 Rear 229 ×2.8 10.2% Possible
Ball joint dust cover (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint dust cover
 Front 157 ×2.7 7.0% Possible
Electrical equipment — Horn
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Electrical equipment > Horn
 Any 79 ×2.4 3.5% Possible
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 168 ×2.2 7.5% Possible
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 166 ×2.1 7.4% Possible
Flexible brake hoses (front)
Brakes > Flexible brake hoses
 Front 70 ×2.1 3.1% Possible
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Front 208 ×2.1 9.3% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Fuel system — Tank
Body, chassis, structure > Fuel system > Tank
 Any 35 ×46 1.6% Likely
Prop shaft
Body, chassis, structure > Transmission > Prop shafts > Prop shaft
 Any 33 ×14 1.5% Likely
Transmission oil leaks (rear)
Noise, emissions and leaks > Fluid leaks > Transmission oil leaks
 Rear 53 ×14 2.4% Elevated
Side repeaters
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Side repeaters
 Any 61 ×13 2.7% Elevated
Suspension arm (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Suspension arm
 Front 181 ×4.3 8.1% Strong
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 394 ×3.2 17.6% Likely
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Front 126 ×3.2 5.6% Possible
Tyres — Condition
Tyres > Condition
 Any 28 ×2.6 1.2% Wear
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

This year underperforms the Freelander's own age curve. If the years listed below are in budget, they are the stronger buy on this evidence.

Other Freelander years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2007 Freelander +3.1 pp better 58.7% 11,611
2010 Freelander -1.9 pp worse 63.6% 12,962

What to check on a 2006 Freelander

The items that failed 2006 Freelanders most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 13.0% of failed first attempts
  • Registration plate lamp(s) — recorded on 10.2% of failed first attempts
  • Stop lamp — recorded on 9.8% of failed first attempts
  • Drive shafts — Joints (front) — recorded on 9.4% of failed first attempts
  • Track rod end (front) — recorded on 9.3% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. 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.

2006 Freelanders break the Freelander's own run — at 52.1% they land 2.2 pp below the midpoint of the 2005 and 2007 cars either side. In 2025, 52.1% of 4,699 first MOTs on the 2006 Land Rover Freelander passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 60.2%. Among 2,249 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Suspension arm (fron…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2006 Land Rover Freelanders most often at the first attempt were Position lamp (front) (13.0%), Registration plate lamp(s) (10.2%) and Stop lamp (9.8%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table a…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Suspension arm (front) (4.5% of those tests; 100 observed failures; about 13× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Suspension arm (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (4.5% of those tests; 100 observed failures; about 13× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2006 Land Rover Freelander include Suspension arm (front), Decelerometer (sp), Rigid brake pipes (front). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2006 Land Rover Freelander (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

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.

2024 2025

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.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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