Land Rover Freelander
From 220,735 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Freelanders fare better: 2014 models pass at 82.9% vs 68.2% for 1998.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play and parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 8,452 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 8,452 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 5,802 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 4,479 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 4,252 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 4,182 |
| 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 | 4,118 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 3,934 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 3,653 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 3,435 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 3,313 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 48.3% of Freelander failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 9% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £133.
Fuel type matters
Diesel versions pass at 73.9% while Petrol versions pass at 67.9%, a 6 percentage point gap.
Land Rover Freelander on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 8,578 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 25 newly registered, a net loss of 8,553. At this rate, roughly 15.3 years until none remain. Now at 59.8% of its peak (219,610 in 2014 Q3).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 102,412 | 28,861 | +2 | -1,865 | -1,863 |
| 2025 Q2 | 104,571 | 28,565 | +6 | -2,115 | -2,109 |
| 2025 Q1 | 107,127 | 28,118 | +4 | -2,230 | -2,226 |
| 2024 Q4 | 109,464 | 28,007 | +13 | -2,368 | -2,355 |
| 2024 Q3 | 111,757 | 28,069 | +6 | -2,335 | -2,329 |
| 2024 Q2 | 114,102 | 28,053 | +6 | -2,158 | -2,152 |
| 2024 Q1 | 116,661 | 27,646 | +10 | -1,956 | -1,946 |
| 2023 Q4 | 119,330 | 26,923 | +10 | -1,393 | -1,383 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelander Gs Td4 | Diesel | 13,514 | 18% |
| Freelander Xs Td4 | Diesel | 8,786 | 11% |
| Freelander Hse Sd4 Auto | Diesel | 8,330 | 11% |
| Freelander Hse Td4 Auto | Diesel | 4,657 | 6% |
| Freelander Hse Td4 A | Diesel | 4,469 | 6% |
| Freelander Xs Sd4 Auto | Diesel | 4,327 | 6% |
| Freelander Hse Td4 | Diesel | 3,570 | 5% |
| Freelander Gs Td4 E | Diesel | 3,157 | 4% |
| Freelander Se Td4 | Diesel | 3,144 | 4% |
| Freelander S Td4 | Diesel | 2,727 | 4% |
| Freelander Gs Td4 Auto | Diesel | 2,565 | 3% |
| Freelander Xs Td4 E | Diesel | 2,503 | 3% |
| Freelander Gs Sd4 Auto | Diesel | 2,412 | 3% |
| Freelander Luxury Hse Sd4 Auto | Diesel | 2,161 | 3% |
| Freelander Xs Td4 Auto | Diesel | 2,148 | 3% |
| Freelander Se Td4 A | Diesel | 1,907 | 2% |
| Freelander Metropolis Sd4 Auto | Diesel | 1,700 | 2% |
| Freelander Gs Td4 A | Diesel | 1,663 | 2% |
| Freelander S Td4 E | Diesel | 1,588 | 2% |
| Freelander Adventurer Td | Diesel | 1,452 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 82.9% | a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2013 | 80.3% | a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2012 | 79% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2011 | 78.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
13 earlier years
| 2010 | 74.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2009 | 73.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2008 | 71.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2007 | 70.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 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 |
| 2006 | 64.5% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2005 | 64.3% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2004 | 64.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2003 | 64.9% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2002 | 63.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 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 |
| 2001 | 61.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 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 |
| 2000 | 67.8% | 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, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 1999 | 64.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 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 |
| 1998 | 68.2% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 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 |
Typical mileage
Half of all Freelanders tested had between 90,611 and 150,478 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 122,191 median miles, the Freelander has 0.021 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Land Rover models
Common questions
What is the Land Rover Freelander MOT pass rate?
The Land Rover Freelander has a 73.8% MOT pass rate based on 220,735 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Land Rover Freelander?
The most common MOT failure on the Land Rover Freelander is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 8,452 failures. Other common issues include a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play.
How many Land Rover Freelanders are on UK roads?
There are 102,412 Land Rover Freelanders currently licensed on UK roads, with 28,861 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Land Rover Freelander at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Land Rover Freelander is 122,191 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 90,611 and 150,478 miles.
Buying a used Freelander?
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 73.8% pass rate and an average repair bill of £133 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.