Land Rover Discovery (1991)
1991 Land Rover Discovery
CarHunch analysed 6,087 real MOT records for the 1991 Land Rover Discovery. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
A 1991 Land Rover Discovery has a 63.5% first-time MOT pass rate—well below the UK average of 80%—which means you're looking at a vehicle that will likely need repairs before passing. The good news is that only 17.4% have ever had dangerous defects recorded, so catastrophic safety failures aren't the norm, though the diesel and petrol variants perform almost identically (63.8% and 60.6% respectively).
These Discoveries are running at a median of 152,826 miles, which is genuinely high for their age, yet they're still managing an average of 2.09 failures and 6.5 advisories per test—suggesting age-related wear rather than fundamental design flaws. If you're buying one, budget for pre-purchase inspection work and don't expect to walk it through MOT without remedial work; check service history carefully, as mileage this high demands meticulous maintenance records.
Petrol vs Diesel
Pass rate difference of 3.2 percentage points — worth knowing if you're choosing between the two.
What to check before buying a 1991 Land Rover Discovery
Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.
- 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
- 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
- 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
- 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.
Before you buy a Land Rover Discovery
MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.
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Pass Rate by Fuel Type
| Fuel type | Vehicles | Pass rate | Avg failures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel (89%) | 5,399 | 63.8% | 2.12 |
| Petrol (10%) | 629 | 60.6% | 1.88 |
| LPG (1%) | 57 | 67.4% | 1.93 |
| Electric (0%) | 1 | 75% | 1 |
| Gas Bi-Fuel (0%) | 1 | 0% | 0 |
Mileage Distribution
Most 1991 Land Rover Discovery vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.
Half of all 1991 Land Rover Discovery vehicles fall between 130,317 and 176,202 miles.
1991 Land Rover Discovery — Still on the Road
Numbers are declining — 96 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025 (18% of peak).
Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2025.
MOT History Averages
Most Common MOT Issues — 1991 Land Rover Discovery
Based on actual MOT test records for this model. Percentage shows how often each item appears across all vehicles in this cohort.
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25.4%
Oil leak
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25.1%
Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings
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24.8%
Nearside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings
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22.6%
Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded
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22.4%
Offside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings
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21.4%
Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded
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19.9%
Nearside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings
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16.1%
Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded
Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1991. Counts include advisories and failures.
Found a specific Land Rover Discovery?
Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.