Range Rover Sport MOT failure rate and common faults
123,976 Range Rover Sport cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 19.3% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 26.9% of the time, which makes the Range Rover Sport 28% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
19.3%
failed first time
123,976 MOT tests in 2025
-28%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 26.9%
26 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
88.4
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 100.6
What fails on a Range Rover Sport MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Range Rover Sport MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 24.8 |
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 23.4 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 22.3 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 20.3 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 19.5 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 18.7 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 18.5 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 13.2 |
| SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault | Seat belts and airbags | 13.1 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 10.6 |
Range Rover Sport MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,657 | 10.6% | 11.4% | 29,800 |
| 2021 | 8,579 | 11.5% | 12.8% | 38,100 |
| 2020 | 7,808 | 11.8% | 14.1% | 45,000 |
| 2019 | 11,058 | 11.4% | 16.5% | 53,200 |
| 2018 | 10,672 | 13.0% | 19.1% | 61,300 |
| 2017 | 10,114 | 17.3% | 21.8% | 70,900 |
| 2016 | 10,609 | 20.0% | 25.1% | 79,100 |
| 2015 | 10,581 | 19.8% | 28.1% | 86,500 |
| 2014 | 8,370 | 20.1% | 31.4% | 95,800 |
| 2013 | 6,100 | 20.9% | 34.3% | 101,400 |
| 2012 | 5,577 | 21.9% | 36.6% | 105,500 |
| 2011 | 4,829 | 23.7% | 38.8% | 110,400 |
| 2010 | 4,878 | 26.0% | 40.7% | 117,200 |
| 2009 | 3,849 | 29.8% | 41.8% | 122,000 |
| 2008 | 3,620 | 31.7% | 42.9% | 128,900 |
| 2007 | 4,256 | 32.8% | 42.7% | 134,500 |
| 2006 | 4,620 | 33.5% | 43.0% | 140,600 |
| 2005 | 2,799 | 32.4% | 42.4% | 141,400 |
Advisories to look for in a Range Rover Sport's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Range Rover Sport, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge240.4
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement121.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin116.4
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened107.7
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material80.2
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing44.1
Checking a used Range Rover Sport before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Range Rover Sport fails more often than average on seat belts and airbags and number plates and vin. Start there.
Seat belts and airbags
Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches, and make sure the airbag warning light goes out after starting.
Number plates and VIN
Make sure both number plates are legal and match the logbook, and that the VIN on the car matches the V5C.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Range Rover Sport cars tested: Diesel 80%, Petrol 12%, Hybrid 7%. Average age at test 10.0 years, average recorded mileage 82,500.
Range Rover Sport MOT questions
What is the Range Rover Sport MOT failure rate?
19.3% of Range Rover Sport cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 123,976 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 26.9% of the time, so the Range Rover Sport was 28% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Range Rover Sport MOT?
Brakes caused the most failure items, at 88 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded 24.8 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Range Rover Sport year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2012 registrations did best: 21.9% failed against an average of 36.6% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Range Rover Sport will pass?
No. These are averages across every Range Rover Sport tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Land Rover models
- Range Rover Evoque17.7% failed
- Land Rover Discovery23.3% failed
- Land Rover Discovery Sport19.0% failed
- Land Rover Freelander34.0% failed
- Range Rover19.6% failed
- Land Rover Defender22.1% failed
Ranked close to the Range Rover Sport
- Mercedes-Benz MLrank 23
- Mercedes-Benz GLErank 24
- Volvo XC40rank 25
- BMW i3rank 27
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Range Rover Sport cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.