CarVerify

Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults

Free Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 car check

Is the Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 reliable? We analysed 618 real MOT tests across 105 vehicles to find out.

Got a specific Land Rover Defender 110 TD5? Enter the reg for a free check:

Free basic check Reports from £4.99 Results in seconds
Data last updated: · Based on 618 real MOT tests
MOT Pass Rate
80.7%
Typical Mileage
135,046mi
Annual Mileage
3,513mi/yr
Est. Lifespan
yrs

The Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 is above average for reliability based on real UK MOT data. Common problems include parking brake: efficiency below requirements, shock absorber has an excessively worn bush and tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Here's everything you need to know before buying a used Land Rover Defender 110 TD5.

Specifications

Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 — specs & performance

Verified from DVLA & DVSA records

A snapshot of the engine, performance, dimensions, fuel economy and running costs for the Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 — drawn from official DVLA vehicle records and the DVSA fuel-economy database.

2495cc
Engine
122bhp
Power
28.3mpg
Combined

Engine & Performance

Engine size
2495cc
Power
122 BHP
Fuel type
Diesel

Body & Dimensions

Body type
LCV
Common colour
White
Wheel plan
2 Axle Rigid Body

Fuel Economy

Combined
28.3 mpg
Urban
23.7 mpg
Extra-urban
32.1 mpg
Fuel cost / 12k mi
£3036

Tax & Emissions

Emission class
Not Available
Road tax (12 mo.)
£260 (£140 if Euro-4)
Road tax (6 mo.)
£143 (£77 if Euro-4)
Sources: DVLA vehicle register · DVSA fuel-economy database. Specifications reflect a representative Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 record and may vary by trim, year and option pack.

Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 Number Plates

Number plates registered to a Land Rover Defender 110 TD5. Click on any registration for full vehicle details — including MOT history, mileage records, previous owners and damage history.

Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 Problems — What Goes Wrong?

The most common reasons a Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 fails its MOT, ranked by how often they occur. Check for these problems before you buy.

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2
Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush 2
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2
Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt steering arm 1
brake application uneven 1
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 1

Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 Mileage — What's Normal?

How many miles does a typical Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 owner drive per year? Use this to check if a car you're looking at has suspiciously low or high mileage.

Low usage
1,604 mi/yr
Typical
3,513 mi/yr
Average
4,519 mi/yr
Heavy usage
6,140 mi/yr

Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 Mileage Distribution

Total mileage recorded across all Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 MOT tests. If the car you're looking at is above the 75th percentile, it's done more miles than most.

Median
135,046 mi
75th Percentile
162,188 mi
95th Percentile
252,481 mi
Max Recorded
966,765 mi

How Does the Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 Compare?

MOT pass rates compared to similar models. Click any model for the full breakdown.

Model Pass Rate Tests Typical Mileage Lifespan
Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 THIS CAR 80.7% 618 135,046 mi — yrs
Land Rover Discovery 72.7% 4,388,972 108,947 mi 36 yrs
Land Rover Freelander 74.7% 4,326,495 85,110 mi 28 yrs
Land Rover Defender 72.3% 2,960,045 94,788 mi 43 yrs
Citroen C4 Gr Stourer Feel + Ptch Ss A 86.7% 577 28,136 mi — yrs

Compared to the Land Rover Discovery (72.7% pass rate) and the Land Rover Freelander (74.7% pass rate), the Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 outperforms both on MOT reliability.

Found a Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 you like?

Run a full vehicle history check on the specific car. See finance, stolen, write-off, mileage and MOT data for that exact vehicle.

Check a specific Land Rover Defender 110 TD5

Should you buy a used Land Rover Defender 110 TD5?

The Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 has an overall MOT pass rate of 80.7% across 618 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.

The most common problems on the Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 are parking brake: efficiency below requirements (2 recorded failures), shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2), and tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (2). These are the faults most likely to cause an MOT failure on this model, so check for them carefully on any test drive or pre-purchase inspection. Many are wear-and-tear items that can be budgeted for, but a car that's already failing on multiple fronts may signal neglected maintenance.

A typical Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 owner drives around 3,513 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.

Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.

Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 — Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 reliable?
Based on 618 MOT tests, the Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 has a 80.7% pass rate — above the UK average, suggesting good reliability.
What are the common problems on a Land Rover Defender 110 TD5?
The most common MOT failures are parking brake: efficiency below requirements, shock absorber has an excessively worn bush, and tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Check these on any test drive.
How many miles does a Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 do per year?
The typical Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 does around 3,513 miles per year. Anything significantly above or below this is worth investigating.
How long does a Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 last?
Lifespan data is not yet available for this model.
Should I get a vehicle check before buying a Land Rover Defender 110 TD5?
Yes. An MOT pass rate tells you about the model in general, but a vehicle history check reveals the specific car's finance, stolen, write-off and mileage history — things the seller may not disclose.