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Land Rover Discovery, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

147,923 Land Rover Discoverys are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 74.6% of initial MOT tests, 2.3 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Discovery? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Land Rover Discovery at the MOT

74.6% of 143,479 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Discovery 272nd of 575 models. Land Rover Discoverys aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 67.9%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Land Rover Discovery74.6%
  • All Land Rover modelsThe Discovery is 2.7 pts behind77.3%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Land Rover Discovery tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years15,893 tests87.2%
  • 6 to 10 years43,853 tests81.6%
  • 11 years and over81,364 tests67.9%

Where Discoverys fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Land Rover Discovery tests in 2025.

  • Suspension21.4%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment20.9%
  • Brakes19.4%
  • Body, chassis, structure12.2%
  • Tyres8.5%

The items testers recorded most often were pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (7.2%), position lamp not working (3.8%) and rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (3.1%).

The MOT page lists every common Discovery MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Land Rover Discovery MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Discovery's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.21.4% of Discovery failure items

  2. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.20.9% of Discovery failure items

  3. Brakes

    Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.19.4% of Discovery failure items

Land Rover Discoverys in the UK

147,923 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 15% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−15%from 175,010 licensed
Typical year of first use
2014half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2014 or earlier
First registered in 2025
5,481against 13,501 in 2017
Declared off the road
66,86231% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Land Rover Discoverys since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014175,010
End of 2015175,760
End of 2016177,529
End of 2017179,882
End of 2018179,160
End of 2019177,682
End of 2020175,090
End of 2021172,160
End of 2022165,558
End of 2023160,396
End of 2024154,403
End of 2025150,458
End of June 2026147,923

How old they are

Licensed Land Rover Discoverys by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 27,191 were first used before 2006.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20255,0005,481
20244,3574,756
20235,4135,707
20223,0943,351
20214,4764,885
20205,5686,154
20197,6588,552
20188,93110,497
201711,32213,501
20169,32511,191
20158,68210,704
20147,018
20135,870
20126,093
20115,201
20105,236
20094,164
20083,672
20074,625
20065,421

8,682 Discoverys first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 81% of the 10,704 first registered that year.

Discovery engines and fuel

3.0 litre engines made up 57% of Land Rover Discovery MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.7 litre at 20%. Diesel accounts for 98% of licensed Discoverys and petrol for 2.1%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 143,442 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 3.0 litre57.4%
  • 2.7 litre20.1%
  • 2.5 litre16.5%
  • 2.0 litre4.6%

Fuel type, licensed Discoverys

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol3,0352%
Diesel144,70698%
Hybrid electric8<0.1%
Gas1740.1%

Land Rover Discovery recalls

33 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Land Rover Discovery. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Discovery is affected.

  1. Jun 2026 R/2026/241

    AJ20-D6 Idler Pulley Clash

    Discoverys built Jul 2024 to Apr 2026 · 51,533 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A concern has been identified on certain AJ20-D6 engines where the Front End Auxiliary Drive (FEAD) belt idler pulley may over-rotate following a high torsion input and lead to a clash with and damage to the oil pressure and temperature sensor. A damaged oil pressure and temperature sensor can lead to an oil leak from the engine which can result in a slip hazard for following road users particularly two-wheeled vehicles.
    Remedy
    Vehicles will have the Front-End Auxiliary Drive (FEAD) idler pulley replaced.

  2. Jun 2026 R/2026/245

    Driver's Airbag Potential Non-Deployment

    Discoverys built Jul 2020 to Jun 2026 · 151,632 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A concern has been identified where the connector to the driver's airbag at the clockspring may experience fretting corrosion over time. This can lead to an increased resistance in the driver's airbag circuit potentially resulting in the airbag failing to deploy when requested to do so. An airbag which fails to deploy as-intended will increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
    Remedy
    Vehicles will have a protective lubricant gel applied to the driver's airbag connector terminals.

  3. Jun 2026 R/2026/177

    Defender and Discovery 2026 Model Year Fuel Tank Wall Thickness

    Discoverys built Jan 2026 · 48 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A concern has been identified where the fuel tank wall thickness may be below design specification near the inlet check valve. A fuel tank with a thinner-than-designed wall may not perform adequately in the event of a crash leading to increased risk of fuel spillage and potentially fire.
    Remedy
    Affected vehicles will have the fuel tank replaced.

  4. Jun 2025 R/2024/326

    Discovery (L319) and Range Rover Sport (L320) Tow Ball Detachment

    Discoverys built May 2004 to Sep 2016 · 196,170 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The manufacturer has determined that in affected vehicles the instructions provided on the method of use of detachable tow balls does not adequately warn of a non-obvious risk which could lead to a failure of the tow ball mechanism causing in-use detachment of the tow ball and trailer detachment.
    Remedy
    Customers will be provided with an additional retaining bracket to fit to the vehicle when using the detachable tow ball together with full installation instructions.

  5. May 2025 R/2025/149

    Security Guidance

    Discoverys built Jun 2013 to May 2015 · 91,319 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Jaguar Land Rover in conjunction with law enforcement and insurance bodies is aware of the increase in thefts of vehicles in specific geographical locations within the United Kingdom. there is no fault with Jaguar Land Rover's security systems and they continue to meet stringent automotive legislation. Jaguar Land Rover is offering owners guidance on how to maximise vehicle security and protect against theft.
    Remedy
    Vehicle registered keepers will be sent a security guidance letter only - there is no repair action.

  6. Jan 2025 R/2024/146

    Security Enhancement

    Discoverys built Jan 2015 to Nov 2017 · 242,061 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    For affected vehicles the manufacturer has developed a software enhancement to further increase vehicle security.
    Remedy
    The software enhancement will deploy this update and reduce the theft risk.

  7. Jun 2024 R/2024/255

    AJ20-D6 and AJ20-P6 Engine Oil Filter Housing Cracked

    Discoverys built Apr 2021 to Jan 2024 · 1,566 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the incorrect specification of plastic was used to manufacture the oil filter housing. This housing may over time and with vehicle use crack. This could result in oil under pressure leaking and coming into contact with hot components of the engine which may result in a fire. Additionally oil may leak onto the road surface posing a skid hazard.
    Remedy
    Replace the oil filter housing complete with filter and associated O-rings.

  8. Mar 2024 R/2024/145

    Security Enhancement

    Discoverys built Sep 2020 to Jan 2022 · 53,644 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    For affected vehicles the manufacturer has developed a software enhancement to further increase vehicle security.
    Remedy
    The software enhancement will deploy this update and reduce the theft risk.
How to check a specific Discovery for recalls

Other Land Rover models

The most-tested Land Rover models in 2025, against the Discovery's 74.6% MOT pass rate.

All 8 Land Rover models

Land Rover Discovery FAQs

How many Land Rover Discoverys are there in the UK?

147,923 Land Rover Discoverys were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 66,862 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Land Rover Discovery reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 74.6% first-time pass rate for the Land Rover Discovery across 143,479 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Land Rover Discovery had any recalls?

33 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Land Rover Discovery. The most recent was published in June 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Land Rover Discovery?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Land Rover Discovery's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a Discovery?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Land Rover history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Land Rover VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.