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What to check: Land Rover Discovery Sport

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Ranked across all years of the Land Rover Discovery Sport, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 6.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

Warning lights on ignitionRuns high on this modelTurn the ignition on without starting the engine and watch the dash. Every warning light should appear, then go out once it is running. Be more suspicious of a light that never comes on at all than of one that stays on; warning bulbs have been known to vanish before a sale.Recorded on 2.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%

Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this modelGet down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 1.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this modelFollow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 1.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%

DampersLook for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 2.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.3%

LeaksLook at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 1.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Coil springsLook through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 1.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.4%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 25.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%

Pads and discsRuns high on this modelLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 21.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check the dipstick on a diesel car: pull it when the engine's been off a few minutes and smell for fuel, and check the level hasn't crept above max.A diesel smell or overfull oil points at regen-related oil dilution.

Look through the service history for oil changes done well before the scheduled interval.Frequent early oil changes usually mean the dealer was already chasing dilution.

Tap and press the B-pillar trim near the seatbelt anchor, and ask if the car's had any rattle repairs done there.A creak here, or a repair already logged, is the known B-pillar fault.

Push down hard on each front corner and bounce it, then drive over a speed bump or rough patch listening for knocks.Any clonk or creak means front suspension components are due for a proper inspection, budget for it.

On an automatic, select D then R a few times from standstill and pull away firmly.Hesitation, a clunk, or a delay engaging drive suggests a selector or PTU/driveline fault worth investigating further.

Turn the infotainment screen on and off and check the reversing camera comes up cleanly.A slow boot, freeze, or blank camera feed is the known infotainment flakiness.

On a diesel, ask how often the AdBlue warning comes on and check the fuel receipts if available.Frequent AdBlue top-ups point to heavier-than-normal consumption on that particular car.

Full Land Rover Discovery Sport reliability report