Used car guide

2017 Land Rover Discovery: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2017 Land Rover Discoverys, from 9,742 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

9,742MOT tests in 2025
82%pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%)
9,500typical miles a year
7.8×the usual rate for ball joint dust cover

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2017 Land Rover Discoverys than on all cars registered in 2017.

  • Ball joint dust cover7.8× usual
    Land Rover Discovery
    10.9% All 2017 cars
    1.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 4.2%, against 0.5% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints1.9× usual
    Land Rover Discovery
    9.1% All 2017 cars
    4.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.1%, against 0.9% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Rigid brake pipes3.8× usual
    Land Rover Discovery
    4.9% All 2017 cars
    1.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.9%, against 0.2% of all 2017 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.

By area

The share of 2017 Land Rover Discovery MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Brakes
    23% 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.

  • Tyres
    22% 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.

  • Suspension
    19% 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.

  • Lights and electrics
    6% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    5% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Seats and seatbelts
    3% of testsRough price £80–£250

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

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20226,506Tyres 23%
20219,483Tyres 23%
20206,220Tyres 21%
20197,897Tyres 21%
20188,459Tyres 21%
20169,594Brakes 25%
20159,047Brakes 28%
20147,308Brakes 31%
20136,193Brakes 32%
20126,501Brakes 33%
20115,735Brakes 35%
20105,957Suspension 35%
20094,784Suspension 37%
20084,329Suspension 42%
20075,693Suspension 43%
20066,616Suspension 47%
20056,812Suspension 46%
20045,695Suspension 44%
20034,984Suspension 42%
20023,928Suspension 45%
20013,099Suspension 45%
20001,897Suspension 44%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2017 Land Rover Discoverys registered in 2017. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score