1980 Land Rover Defender — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1980 perform at MOT as they age

46 years

Current Age

63.2%

Latest Pass Rate

549

Total Tests (All Years)

68,185 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 1980 Land Rover Defender as it ages.

29 yrs48.4%

→ ↑9.9%

30 yrs58.3%

→ ↑2.7%

31 yrs61.0%

→ ↓8.4%

32 yrs52.6%

→ ↑4.3%

33 yrs56.9%

→ ↓2.2%

34 yrs54.7%

→ ↑0.9%

35 yrs55.6%

→ ↑17.1%

36 yrs72.7%

→ ↓13.9%

37 yrs58.8%

→ ↑4.4%

38 yrs63.2%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
29 yrs	48.4%	64
30 yrs	58.3%	60
31 yrs	61.0%	59
32 yrs	52.6%	57
33 yrs	56.9%	58
34 yrs	54.7%	53
35 yrs	55.6%	54
36 yrs	72.7%	55
37 yrs	58.8%	51
38 yrs	63.2%	38

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1980 Land Rover Defender pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2018 (38 yrs)	63.2%	38
2017 (37 yrs)	58.8%	51
2016 (36 yrs)	72.7%	55
2015 (35 yrs)	55.6%	54
2014 (34 yrs)	54.7%	53
2013 (33 yrs)	56.9%	58
2012 (32 yrs)	52.6%	57
2011 (31 yrs)	61%	59
2010 (30 yrs)	58.3%	60
2009 (29 yrs)	48.4%	64

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

48.4%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 64Avg Mileage 52,225Top Failure Brakes — 32.8%

2010High Fail Rate

58.3%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 60Avg Mileage 57,908Top Failure Brakes — 31.7%

2011High Fail Rate

61.0%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 59Avg Mileage 53,679Top Failure Brakes — 25.4%

2012High Fail Rate

52.6%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 57Avg Mileage 54,704Top Failure Brakes — 29.8%

2013High Fail Rate

56.9%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 58Avg Mileage 56,562Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 84.5%

2014High Fail Rate

54.7%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 53Avg Mileage 58,582Top Failure Suspension — 103.8%

2015High Fail Rate

55.6%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 54Avg Mileage 61,127Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 68.5%

2016

72.7%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 55Avg Mileage 58,850Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 40.0%

2017High Fail Rate

58.8%

Age (yrs) 37Tests 51Avg Mileage 60,612Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 68.6%

2018High Fail Rate

63.2%

Age (yrs) 38Tests 38Avg Mileage 68,185Top Failure Brakes — 34.2%

MOT results for 1980 Land Rover Defender by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	29	48.4%	64	52,225	Brakes — 32.8%
2010	30	58.3%	60	57,908	Brakes — 31.7%
2011	31	61.0%	59	53,679	Brakes — 25.4%
2012	32	52.6%	57	54,704	Brakes — 29.8%
2013	33	56.9%	58	56,562	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 84.5%
2014	34	54.7%	53	58,582	Suspension — 103.8%
2015	35	55.6%	54	61,127	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 68.5%
2016	36	72.7%	55	58,850	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 40.0%
2017	37	58.8%	51	60,612	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 68.6%
2018	38	63.2%	38	68,185	Brakes — 34.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1980 Land Rover Defender, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

46.6%

↓ Decreases with age

Brakes

41.4%

— Consistent

Suspension

39.8%

↓ Decreases with age

Body, Structure and General Items

28.4%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

21.1%

— Consistent

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	32.8% (29 yrs)	15.8% (38 yrs)	-17.0%	🟢 ↓
Suspension	31.3% (29 yrs)	21.1% (38 yrs)	-10.2%	🟢 ↓
Brakes	32.8% (29 yrs)	34.2% (38 yrs)	+1.4%	⚪ —

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 1980 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2018, covering 549 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.