Used car guide

2015 Land Rover Defender: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2015 Land Rover Defenders, from 6,477 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

6,477MOT tests in 2025
79%pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%)
4,600typical miles a year
4.5×the usual rate for rigid brake pipes

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2015 Land Rover Defenders than on all cars registered in 2015.

  • Rigid brake pipes4.5× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    11.2% All 2015 cars
    2.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.2%, against 0.3% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

  • Seat belts9× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    8.1% All 2015 cars
    0.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.1%, against 0.3% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £80–£250 our estimate

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock and retract smoothly.

  • Shock absorbers1.9× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    9.9% All 2015 cars
    5.2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.6%, against 1.1% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Transmission oil leaks5.7× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    3.4% All 2015 cars
    0.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.1%, against 0% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £80–£600 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and where the car is usually parked for fresh oil. Ask whether the leak has been looked at.

  • Wheel bearings4× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    3.2% All 2015 cars
    0.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.5%, against 0.3% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£300 (one bearing) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for a hum or growl that changes as you steer at speed.

Better than most

Tread depth: 4.4% here, against 20% of all 2015 cars. Tyre condition: 4.4% here, against 13.4% of all 2015 cars.

By area

The share of 2015 Land Rover Defender MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Lights and electrics
    21% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Brakes
    21% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Suspension
    17% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Tyres
    9% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    8% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    6% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Looking at a Land Rover Defender?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20229,421Tyres 16%
20218,189Tyres 16%
20203,926Tyres 18%
20161,766Lights and electrics 15%
20145,687Lights and electrics 25%
20134,240Lights and electrics 26%
20123,781Suspension 28%
20113,869Suspension 31%
20103,826Suspension 33%
20093,347Suspension 33%
20083,601Suspension 35%
20073,833Suspension 38%
20063,676Suspension 37%
20054,057Suspension 38%
20044,136Suspension 39%
20034,236Suspension 40%
20023,706Suspension 39%
20013,012Suspension 37%
20002,890Suspension 39%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2015 Land Rover Defenders registered in 2015. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score