Used car guide

2016 Land Rover Defender: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the Land Rover Defender first registered in 2016: we looked at the 5,261 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

5,261MOTs of 2016 cars, done in 2023–2025
83%pass first time (all 2016 cars: 77%)
3,600typical miles a year
6.6×the usual rate for seat belts

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2016 Land Rover Defender?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2016 Land Rover Defender than on all cars registered in 2016.

  • Seat belts6.6× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    4.6% All 2016 cars
    0.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.7%, against 0.2% of all 2016 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.

  • Rigid brake pipes3.6× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    5.4% All 2016 cars
    1.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1%, against 0.2% of all 2016 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.

  • Shock absorbers1.9× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    6.9% All 2016 cars
    3.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.7%, against 0.8% of all 2016 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.

  • Sidelights2.9× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    3.8% All 2016 cars
    1.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.6%, against 1.1% of all 2016 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Transmission oil leaks6× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    2.4% All 2016 cars
    0.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0%, against 0% of all 2016 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.

Better than most

Tread depth: 3.3% here, against 19% of all 2016 cars. Tyre condition: 3.1% here, against 13.2% of all 2016 cars.

Common 2016 Land Rover Defender MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2016 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
    15% 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
    12% 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
    11% 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.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Tyres
    6% 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.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    4% 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 2016 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 2016 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 seat belts? (Flagged at MOT 6.6× as often on the 2016 Land Rover Defender as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the rigid brake pipes? (Flagged at MOT 3.6× as often on the 2016 Land Rover Defender as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Any recent work on the shock absorbers? (Flagged at MOT 1.9× as often on the 2016 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
2023537Tyres 6%
202210,203Tyres 16%
202117,002Tyres 16%
202012,279Tyres 17%
2019–Too few tests
201519,432Lights and electrics 20%
201417,088Lights and electrics 23%
201312,768Lights and electrics 25%
201211,306Brakes 28%
201111,624Suspension 30%
201011,575Suspension 33%
200910,173Suspension 33%
200810,886Suspension 35%
200711,637Suspension 37%
200611,053Suspension 37%
200512,217Suspension 38%
200412,468Suspension 38%
200312,878Suspension 40%
200211,308Suspension 39%
20019,187Suspension 37%
20008,758Suspension 39%
19998,816Suspension 38%
199810,222Lights and electrics 38%
19979,907Lights and electrics 38%
199610,192Lights and electrics 39%
19958,468Lights and electrics 40%
19946,806Lights and electrics 40%
19935,523Lights and electrics 37%
19924,355Lights and electrics 37%
19915,001Lights 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 2016. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score