2002 Land Rover Discovery MOT pass rate: 70.3% (13,376 tests)
Is the 2002 Discovery getting worse?
Pass rate of 2002-registered cars across recent test years:
| Test year | Pass rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 69.2% +4.0 vs same-age |
|
| 2024 | 70.5% +5.0 vs same-age |
|
| 2025 | 71.6% +4.9 vs same-age |
The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.
What fails on a 2002 Discovery
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 4,304 | 24.5% |
| 2 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3,635 | 20.7% |
| 3 | Body, chassis, structure | 2,972 | 16.9% |
| 4 | Brakes | 2,971 | 16.9% |
| 5 | Steering | 1,227 | 7.0% |
| 6 | Visibility | 754 | 4.3% |
All Discovery years compared
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 10,510 | 69.6% | +2.9 pts | 152,249 |
| 2002 (this page) | 13,376 | 70.3% | +4.6 pts | 151,921 |
| 2003 | 16,601 | 71.2% | +6.1 pts | 145,557 |
| 2004 | 18,765 | 70.3% | +5.9 pts | 148,473 |
| 2005 | 22,854 | 70.2% | +5.7 pts | 161,023 |
| 2006 | 22,563 | 69.0% | +4.6 pts | 157,023 |
| 2007 | 19,470 | 70.3% | +5.2 pts | 149,277 |
| 2008 | 14,477 | 71.3% | +6.1 pts | 145,036 |
| 2009 | 15,227 | 72.0% | +5.6 pts | 138,759 |
| 2010 | 18,812 | 74.3% | +7.0 pts | 133,508 |
| 2011 | 17,817 | 76.2% | +7.0 pts | 126,731 |
| 2012 | 20,130 | 77.4% | +6.2 pts | 118,330 |
| 2013 | 18,827 | 78.6% | +5.2 pts | 111,881 |
| 2014 | 22,068 | 80.6% | +4.8 pts | 100,681 |
| 2015 | 27,303 | 82.9% | +4.2 pts | 91,542 |
| 2016 | 28,875 | 84.3% | +2.9 pts | 79,414 |
| 2017 | 29,046 | 85.2% | +1.2 pts | 66,584 |
| 2018 | 25,076 | 87.9% | +1.5 pts | 59,771 |
| 2019 | 6,459 | 88.1% | -0.3 pts | 53,498 |
Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Land Rover Discovery years to avoid.
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FAQs
Is a 2002 Land Rover Discovery reliable?
2002-registered examples passed 70.3% of their MOT tests (13,376 tests, 2023–2025), +4.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 24 years old with a median 151,921 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2002 Discovery?
The median tested example shows 151,921 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.