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Land Rover Defender SE Auto Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults

Free Land Rover Defender SE Auto car check

Is the Land Rover Defender SE Auto reliable? We analysed 1,150 real MOT tests across 384 vehicles to find out.

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Data last updated: · Based on 1,150 real MOT tests
MOT Pass Rate
92.8%
Typical Mileage
33,454mi
Annual Mileage
7,660mi/yr
Est. Lifespan
yrs

The Land Rover Defender SE Auto is above average for reliability based on real UK MOT data. Here's everything you need to know before buying a used Land Rover Defender SE Auto.

Land Rover Defender SE Auto Number Plates

Number plates registered to a Land Rover Defender SE Auto. Click on any registration for full vehicle details — including MOT history, mileage records, previous owners and damage history.

Land Rover Defender SE Auto MOT Pass Rate by Year

How likely is a Land Rover Defender SE Auto to pass its MOT? Here's the pass rate for each registration year, newest first.

93.9%
2021
92.1%
2020

Land Rover Defender SE Auto Mileage — What's Normal?

How many miles does a typical Land Rover Defender SE Auto owner drive per year? Use this to check if a car you're looking at has suspiciously low or high mileage.

Low usage
5,230 mi/yr
Typical
7,660 mi/yr
Average
8,602 mi/yr
Heavy usage
10,929 mi/yr

Land Rover Defender SE Auto MOT Data by Registration Year

Full breakdown of pass rate and mileage for each year. Use this to compare the Land Rover Defender SE Auto year you're looking at.

Year Tests Pass Rate Low Mi. Typical Mi. High Mi.
2021 374 93.9% 22,466 31,832 42,029
2020 734 92.1% 24,989 34,314 46,006

How Long Does a Land Rover Defender SE Auto Last?

Based on 384 Land Rover Defender SE Auto vehicles on UK roads.

Average
4.2 years
Median
4.0 years

Land Rover Defender SE Auto Mileage Distribution

Total mileage recorded across all Land Rover Defender SE Auto MOT tests. If the car you're looking at is above the 75th percentile, it's done more miles than most.

Median
33,454 mi
75th Percentile
45,029 mi
95th Percentile
67,773 mi
Max Recorded
117,743 mi

Best Year to Buy a Used Land Rover Defender SE Auto

Based on MOT pass rates across all registration years with sufficient test data.

Best year
2021

93.9% MOT pass rate from 374 tests

Year to avoid
2020

92.1% MOT pass rate from 734 tests

The best year to buy a used Land Rover Defender SE Auto is 2021, which has the highest MOT pass rate at 93.9% across 374 tests. The 2020 model year has the lowest pass rate at 92.1% — if you're looking at one from that year, budget for potential repairs and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

How Does the Land Rover Defender SE Auto Compare?

MOT pass rates compared to similar models. Click any model for the full breakdown.

Model Pass Rate Tests Typical Mileage Lifespan
Land Rover Defender SE Auto THIS CAR 92.8% 1,150 33,454 mi — yrs
Land Rover Discovery 72.7% 4,388,972 108,947 mi 36 yrs
Land Rover Freelander 74.7% 4,326,495 85,110 mi 28 yrs
Land Rover Defender 72.3% 2,960,045 94,788 mi 43 yrs
Mercedes-benz Glc 220 D 4MATIC AMG Line Auto 94.7% 1,326 54,333 mi — yrs

Compared to the Land Rover Discovery (72.7% pass rate) and the Land Rover Freelander (74.7% pass rate), the Land Rover Defender SE Auto outperforms both on MOT reliability.

Found a Land Rover Defender SE Auto you like?

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Should you buy a used Land Rover Defender SE Auto?

The Land Rover Defender SE Auto has an overall MOT pass rate of 92.8% across 1,150 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.

A typical Land Rover Defender SE Auto owner drives around 7,660 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.

Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.

Land Rover Defender SE Auto — Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Land Rover Defender SE Auto reliable?
Based on 1,150 MOT tests, the Land Rover Defender SE Auto has a 92.8% pass rate — above the UK average, suggesting good reliability.
What are the common problems on a Land Rover Defender SE Auto?
The most common failure point is general wear and tear.
How many miles does a Land Rover Defender SE Auto do per year?
The typical Land Rover Defender SE Auto does around 7,660 miles per year. Anything significantly above or below this is worth investigating.
How long does a Land Rover Defender SE Auto last?
Lifespan data is not yet available for this model.
Should I get a vehicle check before buying a Land Rover Defender SE Auto?
Yes. An MOT pass rate tells you about the model in general, but a vehicle history check reveals the specific car's finance, stolen, write-off and mileage history — things the seller may not disclose.
What is the best year to buy a Land Rover Defender SE Auto?
Based on MOT pass rates, the best year to buy a used Land Rover Defender SE Auto is 2021 with a 93.9% pass rate across 374 tests.