2020 Land Rover Discovery S D Auto — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 2,886 MOT tests analysed for the 2020 Land Rover Discovery S D Auto, the most common recorded failure areas were tyres, visibility and emissions & environmental. Its pass rate of 87.4% was below the average for cars of a similar age (90.6%). Higher-mileage examples failed more often — 16.7% in the 60-90k group versus 10.3% in the 0-30k group.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.9% | 171 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.6% | 133 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 94 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.6% | 74 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.4% | 41 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.2% | 34 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 143 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 80 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 45 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 34 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 24 |
| 6 | On or after 01/01/2014 | 23 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 20.6% | 596 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.9% | 429 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.0% | 259 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.6% | 191 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.3% | 125 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.0% | 57 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1,069 | 10.3% |
| 30-60k | 1,531 | 13.5% |
| 60-90k | 270 | 16.7% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 35 | 5.7% |
| 2023 | 971 | 11.2% |
| 2024 | 939 | 13.0% |
| 2025 | 940 | 13.9% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Discovery S D Auto
Before buying a 2020 Land Rover Discovery S D Auto, focus on the areas it most often fails on. Tyres accounted for 5.9% of tests for this year.
- Tyres (5.9% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Visibility (4.6% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (3.3% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2020 Land Rover Discovery S D Autos pass their MOT?
87.4% of the 2,886 2020 Land Rover Discovery S D Auto MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Land Rover Discovery S D Auto?
Tyres, recorded in 5.9% of tests, followed by visibility (4.6%).
Does the 2020 Discovery S D Auto get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.3% in the 0-30k band to 16.7% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,886 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.