MOT fail rates by first-use year

2005 Land Rover Freelander MOT fail rate and common faults

How Land Rover Freelander cars first used in 2005 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 26,154 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 20 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 20 (n=4,470)48.1%

All cars at 20 years (n=1,845,952)42.8%

Difference+5.3 pts

MOT tests of 2005 cars, 2022 to 202526,154

What stands out

In 2025, at 20 years old, Land Rover Freelander cars first used in 2005 failed 48.1% of MOTs (4,470 tests), 5.3 points above the 42.8% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 17 to 20 years old, the fail rate moved from 48.0% to 48.1%.
Land Rover Freelander cars first used a year earlier, in 2004, failed 48.1% at the same age of 20 years (4,790 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Land Rover Freelander at 20 years, is rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded, at 5.8 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.5).

MOT fail rate by test year

Land Rover Freelander cars first used in 2005: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	17 years	48.0%	8,655	43.1%	+4.9 pts
2023	18 years	48.1%	7,245	43.3%	+4.8 pts
2024	19 years	48.3%	5,784	43.2%	+5.1 pts
2025	20 years	48.1%	4,470	42.8%	+5.3 pts

Most common faults at 20 years

These figures cover all Land Rover Freelander MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=17,065). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Brake light not working Wear	7.1	3.9
Side/position light not working Wear	6.6	5.2
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear	6.3	1.9
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded	5.8	2.5
Steering track rod end: ball joint play	5.4	2.0
Driveshaft CV boot split	4.3	3.1
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	4.3	3.4
Anti-roll bar link worn	4.0	1.3
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	3.9	2.9
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	3.8	4.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=17,065). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	31.7	15.2
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	14.2	15.7
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	9.5	10.2
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	8.8	14.1
Track rod end ball joint: slight play	7.5	2.3
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened	7.3	3.0
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	6.1	10.7
Flexible brake hoses: has slight corrosion to ferrule	6.0	2.6
Coil spring: corroded	5.6	8.0
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	5.5	5.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=17,065). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 20 years

These figures cover all Land Rover Freelander MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=17,065). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	84.1%	47.5%	14,351	43.6%	133,142 miles
Petrol	15.9%	47.5%	2,706	42.5%	103,180 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 20 years

These figures cover all Land Rover Freelander MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=17,065). At 20 years, Land Rover Freelander cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (50.7%, n=4,758) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (43.3%, n=1,975). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles	43.3%	1,975	41.3%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	46.6%	4,412	45.5%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	49.6%	5,142	47.2%
Over 150,000 miles	50.7%	4,758	46.9%

Car tax rules for a 2005 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2005 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Land Rover Freelander

2004 Land Rover Freelander 2006 Land Rover Freelander

Other Land Rover models first used in 2005

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Land Rover Discovery (2005)	20 years in 2025	34.7%	6,834	42.8%
Land Rover Defender (2005)	20 years in 2025	32.5%	4,081	42.8%
Land Rover Range Rover Sport (2005)	20 years in 2025	31.8%	2,853	42.8%
Land Rover Range Rover (2005)	20 years in 2025	29.6%	2,380	42.8%

More on the Land Rover Freelander

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2005 Land Rover Freelander cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.