At a Glance
The Land Rover Series has 51 identified common problems across 4 generations, with the Series III (1971-1985) being the most affected generation and suspension the most common problem category. Based on 265K MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Land Rover Series common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Land Rover Series generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Land Rover Series Generations
Select a generation to see its specific problems, MOT failures and advisories
Series I
Most common MOT failure: Brake performance below minimum
Series II
Most common MOT failure: Brake performance below minimum
Series IIA
Top issue: Spring mounting corroded
Series III
Top issue: Brake performance below minimum
Most Common Land Rover Series MOT Failures
Every reason Land Rover Series vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake performance below minimum | 7.84% |
| 2 | Windscreen washer not working | 7.31% |
| 3 | Stop lamp not working | 6.51% |
| 4 | Headlamp aim defect | 5.55% |
| 5 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 5.16% |
| 6 | Exhaust system fault | 4.46% |
| 7 | Front lamp not working | 3.76% |
| 8 | Chassis condition | 3.41% |
| 9 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 3.37% |
| 10 | Spring mounting corroded | 3.20% |
| 11 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 3.05% |
| 12 | Suspension mounting corroded | 3.04% |
| 13 | Indicator fault | 2.99% |
| 14 | Number plate lamp not working | 2.71% |
| 15 | Tyre condition | 2.54% |
| 16 | Front suspension fault | 2.24% |
| 17 | Body corrosion or damage | 2.18% |
| 18 | Track rod end worn | 1.89% |
| 19 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 1.84% |
| 20 | Rear lamp not working | 1.80% |
| 21 | Horn not working | 1.63% |
| 22 | Parking brake condition | 1.38% |
| 23 | Position lamp not working | 1.18% |
| 24 | Seat belt condition | 1.05% |
| 25 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 0.97% |
| 26 | Fog lamp not working | 0.86% |
| 27 | Drag link end worn | 0.78% |
| 28 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.77% |
| 29 | Headlamp fault | 0.75% |
| 30 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.72% |
| 31 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.69% |
| 32 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | 0.63% |
| 33 | Brake fluid leak | 0.55% |
| 34 | Brake disc or drum worn | 0.54% |
| 35 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.53% |
| 36 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.49% |
| 37 | Steering box fault | 0.45% |
| 38 | Steering free play excessive | 0.43% |
| 39 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.43% |
| 40 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.43% |
| 41 | Rear suspension fault | 0.42% |
| 42 | Brake pedal fault | 0.42% |
| 43 | Steering arm worn | 0.33% |
| 44 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.32% |
| 45 | Electrical switch fault | 0.32% |
| 46 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.31% |
| 47 | Steering operation fault | 0.29% |
| 48 | Steering lock fault | 0.29% |
| 49 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 0.28% |
| 50 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | 0.28% |
| 51 | Securing bolts missing or insecure | 0.26% |
| 52 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.26% |
| 53 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.24% |
| 54 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.24% |
| 55 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.24% |
| 56 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.21% |
| 57 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.21% |
| 58 | Steering column fault | 0.20% |
| 59 | Brake pads or linings worn | 0.18% |
| 60 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | 0.18% |
| 61 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | 0.18% |
| 62 | Driveshaft fault | 0.17% |
| 63 | Leaf spring eye worn or broken | 0.17% |
| 64 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | 0.16% |
| 65 | Body security fault | 0.16% |
| 66 | Leaf spring shackle bracket corroded | 0.15% |
| 67 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.15% |
| 68 | Anchor bracket corroded | 0.14% |
| 69 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.14% |
| 70 | Propshaft fault | 0.13% |
| 71 | Speedometer fault | 0.12% |
| 72 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.12% |
| 73 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.11% |
| 74 | Towbar fault | 0.11% |
| 75 | Engine oil leak | 0.11% |
| 76 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.10% |
| 77 | Brake lever fault | 0.09% |
| 78 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.09% |
| 79 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.09% |
| 80 | Spring saddle corroded | 0.08% |
| 81 | Brake linkage mounting fault | 0.07% |
| 82 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.07% |
| 83 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.07% |
| 84 | Steering lock stop fault | 0.07% |
| 85 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | 0.06% |
| 86 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.06% |
| 87 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.06% |
| 88 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.06% |
| 89 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.05% |
| 90 | Steering coupling worn | 0.05% |
| 91 | Driver seat fault | 0.05% |
| 92 | Transmission oil leak | 0.05% |
| 93 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | 0.04% |
| 94 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | 0.04% |
| 95 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | 0.04% |
| 96 | Stub axle worn | 0.04% |
| 97 | Brake servo fault | 0.04% |
| 98 | Passenger seat fault | 0.04% |
| 99 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.04% |
| 100 | Steering damper fault | 0.04% |
| 101 | Driver door fault | 0.04% |
| 102 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.03% |
| 103 | Exhaust leak | 0.03% |
| 104 | Front passenger door fault | 0.03% |
| 105 | Ball joint dust cover split | 0.03% |
| 106 | Steering shaft fault | 0.03% |
| 107 | Brake clevis joint worn | 0.03% |
| 108 | Dip switch fault | 0.03% |
| 109 | Indicator warning light fault | 0.03% |
| 110 | Power steering pump fault | 0.02% |
| 111 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | 0.02% |
| 112 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.02% |
| 113 | Brake relay lever fault | 0.02% |
| 114 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | 0.02% |
| 115 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.02% |
| 116 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 0.02% |
| 117 | Brake caliper fault | 0.02% |
| 118 | Spare wheel fault | 0.02% |
| 119 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | 0.02% |
| 120 | Additional braking device fault | 0.02% |
| 121 | Vehicle floor corroded | 0.02% |
| 122 | Brake master cylinder fault | 0.01% |
| 123 | Axle corroded or damaged | 0.01% |
| 124 | Leaf spring slipper worn | 0.01% |
| 125 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.01% |
| 126 | Suspension coupling worn | 0.01% |
| 127 | Suspension unit fault | 0.01% |
| 128 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.01% |
| 129 | Halfshaft fault | 0.01% |
| 130 | Handbrake fails on gradient | 0.01% |
| 131 | ABS fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | <0.01% |
| 133 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 134 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 135 | Bonded suspension condition | <0.01% |
| 136 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 137 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 138 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 139 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 141 | Handbrake cable fault | <0.01% |
| 142 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 143 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 144 | Bumper damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 145 | Steering rack fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Power steering ram fault | <0.01% |
| 147 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 148 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 150 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 151 | Airbag warning light on | <0.01% |
| 152 | Subframe corrosion or damage | <0.01% |
| 153 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 154 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 156 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 158 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 159 | Electronic stability control fault | <0.01% |
| 160 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 161 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 162 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 163 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 165 | Panhard rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 166 | MacPherson strut worn | <0.01% |
| 167 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 168 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 169 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 170 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 171 | Suspension air bellows damaged | <0.01% |
| 172 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 173 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 174 | CV joint worn | <0.01% |
| 175 | Reversing lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 176 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 177 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 178 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 179 | Electronic braking system fault | <0.01% |
| 180 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 181 | Hydraulic suspension accumulator fault | <0.01% |
| 182 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 183 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 184 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | <0.01% |
| 185 | Undertray damaged or missing | <0.01% |
Showing all 185 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Land Rover Series MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Land Rover Series, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Land Rover Series problems?
Based on analysis of 265K Land Rover Series MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 51 identified common problems across 4 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Brake performance below minimum". Suspension is the most common problem category.
Which Land Rover Series generation has the most problems?
The Land Rover Series Series III (1971-1985) (1971–1985) has the highest number of identified common problems (73). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Land Rover Series?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Land Rover Series owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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