Used car guide

2012 Land Rover Defender: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the Land Rover Defender first registered in 2012: we looked at the 11,292 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

11,292MOTs of 2012 cars, done in 2023–2025
71%pass first time (all 2012 cars: 64%)
5,600typical miles a year
3.3×the usual rate for rigid brake pipes

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2012 Land Rover Defender?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2012 Land Rover Defender than on all cars registered in 2012.

  • Rigid brake pipes3.3× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    16.9% All 2012 cars
    5.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.3%, against 0.8% of all 2012 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 belts6.8× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    7.5% All 2012 cars
    1.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.7%, against 0.4% of all 2012 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 absorbers2.1× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    12% All 2012 cars
    5.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.9%, against 1.6% of all 2012 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 leaks6.5× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    5.2% All 2012 cars
    0.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.1%, against 0% of all 2012 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.

  • Drag link end44× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    4.4% All 2012 cars
    0.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.9%, against 0% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£450 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Feel for play or knocking when turning.

Better than most

Tread depth: 5.7% here, against 22.2% of all 2012 cars. Tyre condition: 6.1% here, against 14% of all 2012 cars.

Common 2012 Land Rover Defender MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2012 Land Rover Defender MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Brakes
    28% 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.

  • Lights and electrics
    27% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Suspension
    27% 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
    12% 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
    11% 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
    9% 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.

Known faults on the 2012 Land Rover Defender

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2012 Land Rover Defender

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Have all the recalls been done, including the axle tube and hub bolts?
  2. Any recent work on the rigid brake pipes? (Flagged at MOT 3.3× as often on the 2012 Land Rover Defender as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the seat belts? (Flagged at MOT 6.8× as often on the 2012 Land Rover Defender as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Any recent work on the shock absorbers? (Flagged at MOT 2.1× as often on the 2012 Land Rover Defender as on other cars the same age.)
  5. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Land Rover Defender?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Land Rover Defender compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2025–Too new for MOT data
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023529Tyres 6%
202210,198Tyres 16%
202116,997Tyres 16%
202012,258Tyres 17%
2019–Too few tests
20165,259Lights and electrics 15%
201519,425Brakes 20%
201417,079Lights and electrics 23%
201312,768Lights and electrics 25%
201111,607Suspension 30%
201011,558Suspension 33%
200910,166Suspension 33%
200810,865Suspension 35%
200711,617Suspension 37%
200611,038Suspension 37%
200512,200Suspension 38%
200412,447Suspension 38%
200312,858Suspension 40%
200211,282Suspension 39%
20019,161Suspension 37%
20008,745Suspension 39%
19998,812Suspension 38%
199810,222Lights and electrics 38%
19979,899Lights and electrics 38%
199610,182Lights and electrics 39%
19958,462Lights and electrics 40%
19946,802Lights and electrics 40%
19935,523Lights and electrics 37%
19924,355Lights and electrics 37%
19914,994Lights and electrics 39%
19904,751Lights and electrics 37%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, counting the MOTs of Land Rover Defender cars first registered in 2012. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score