1966 Land Rover Defender — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1966 perform at MOT as they age

60 years

Current Age

61.5%

Latest Pass Rate

325

Total Tests (All Years)

74,541 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1966 Land Rover Defender as it ages.

44 yrs66.7%

→ ↓0.0%

45 yrs66.7%

→ ↓21.2%

46 yrs45.5%

→ ↑11.6%

47 yrs57.1%

→ ↑5.7%

48 yrs62.8%

→ ↓4.7%

49 yrs58.1%

→ ↑3.0%

50 yrs61.1%

→ ↑0.4%

51 yrs61.5%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
44 yrs	66.7%	36
45 yrs	66.7%	42
46 yrs	45.5%	44
47 yrs	57.1%	42
48 yrs	62.8%	43
49 yrs	58.1%	43
50 yrs	61.1%	36
51 yrs	61.5%	39

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1966 Land Rover Defender pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (51 yrs)	61.5%	39
2016 (50 yrs)	61.1%	36
2015 (49 yrs)	58.1%	43
2014 (48 yrs)	62.8%	43
2013 (47 yrs)	57.1%	42
2012 (46 yrs)	45.5%	44
2011 (45 yrs)	66.7%	42
2010 (44 yrs)	66.7%	36

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2010

66.7%

Age (yrs) 44Tests 36Avg Mileage 60,192Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.4%

2011

66.7%

Age (yrs) 45Tests 42Avg Mileage 58,680Top Failure Brakes — 21.4%

2012High Fail Rate

45.5%

Age (yrs) 46Tests 44Avg Mileage 63,632Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 27.3%

2013High Fail Rate

57.1%

Age (yrs) 47Tests 42Avg Mileage 61,022Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 73.8%

2014High Fail Rate

62.8%

Age (yrs) 48Tests 43Avg Mileage 65,958Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 55.8%

2015High Fail Rate

58.1%

Age (yrs) 49Tests 43Avg Mileage 65,324Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 39.5%

2016High Fail Rate

61.1%

Age (yrs) 50Tests 36Avg Mileage 61,964Top Failure Suspension — 75.0%

2017High Fail Rate

61.5%

Age (yrs) 51Tests 39Avg Mileage 74,541Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 66.7%

MOT results for 1966 Land Rover Defender by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2010	44	66.7%	36	60,192	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.4%
2011	45	66.7%	42	58,680	Brakes — 21.4%
2012	46	45.5%	44	63,632	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 27.3%
2013	47	57.1%	42	61,022	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 73.8%
2014	48	62.8%	43	65,958	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 55.8%
2015	49	58.1%	43	65,324	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 39.5%
2016	50	61.1%	36	61,964	Suspension — 75.0%
2017	51	61.5%	39	74,541	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 66.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1966 Land Rover Defender, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

45.4%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

38.3%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

27.1%

↑ Increases with age

Steering

18.8%

↑ Increases with age

Driver's View of the Road

17.8%

↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	19.4% (44 yrs)	66.7% (51 yrs)	+47.3%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	16.7% (44 yrs)	46.2% (51 yrs)	+29.5%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	19.4% (44 yrs)	46.2% (51 yrs)	+26.8%	🔴 ↑
Steering	5.6% (44 yrs)	25.6% (51 yrs)	+20.0%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Land Rover Defender page →

About This Data

This page shows how Land Rover Defender cars manufactured in 1966 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2010 to 2017, covering 325 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.