Land Rover 90
From 763 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, an obligatory rear fog lamp missing and or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning. The top issue, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, caused 41 failures in 2024. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 41 |
| a direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 24 |
| an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 18 |
| a shock absorber bush excessively worn | 17 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 16 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 15 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 15 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 15 |
| exhaust system leaking or insecure | 15 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 14 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 15.8% of 90 failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 0% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £76.
Land Rover 90 on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 124 scrapped or exported in the past year, a net loss of 124. Now at 63.7% of its peak (23,296 in 1994 Q4).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 6,188 | 8,647 | +0 | -0 | +27 |
| 2025 Q2 | 6,166 | 8,642 | +0 | -0 | +59 |
| 2025 Q1 | 6,012 | 8,737 | +0 | -14 | -14 |
| 2024 Q4 | 6,071 | 8,692 | +0 | -110 | -110 |
| 2024 Q3 | 6,217 | 8,656 | +0 | -59 | -59 |
| 2024 Q2 | 6,272 | 8,660 | +0 | -14 | -14 |
| 2024 Q1 | 6,265 | 8,681 | +0 | -0 | +43 |
| 2023 Q4 | 6,287 | 8,616 | +0 | -5 | -5 |
8 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lr 90 4C Reg | Petrol | 2,241 | 36% |
| 90 4C Sw Dt Diesel | Petrol | 1,592 | 26% |
| 90 4C Reg Dt Diesel | Petrol | 1,335 | 22% |
| Lr 90 4C Sw | Petrol | 473 | 8% |
| 90 4C County D Turbo | Diesel | 237 | 4% |
| Lr 90 V8 Sw | Diesel | 152 | 2% |
| Lr 90 V8 Reg | Petrol | 107 | 2% |
| 90 V8 County Petrol | Petrol | 51 | <1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 72.3% | body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point, exhaust system leaking or insecure |
| 1985 | 83% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
Typical mileage
Half of all 90s tested had between 100,690 and 169,539 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 140,438 median miles, the 90 has 0.02 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Land Rover models
Common questions
What is the Land Rover 90 MOT pass rate?
The Land Rover 90 has a 72.6% MOT pass rate based on 763 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Land Rover 90?
The most common MOT failure on the Land Rover 90 is steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which caused 41 failures. Other common issues include a direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning.
How many Land Rover 90s are on UK roads?
There are 6,188 Land Rover 90s currently licensed on UK roads, with 8,647 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Land Rover 90 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Land Rover 90 is 140,438 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 100,690 and 169,539 miles.
Buying a used 90?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 72.6% pass rate and an average repair bill of £76 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.