2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0L Diesel · AF53 BOW

This Range Rover Sport presents an unusually clean MOT profile for an 11-year-old premium SUV, with the most recent test on 20 May 2025 returning a pass with no advisories or defects recorded, continuing a stable trend of roadworthiness that stretches back through the 2024 and 2023 certificates. Notably, the only blemish across the entire recorded history is a single failure on 20 September 2023 that resulted in no recorded defect categories, which suggests an administrative or rectification issue rather than a genuine mechanical concern, given that the very next day a clean pass was issued. The complete absence of advisories across multiple consecutive tests is uncommon for a vehicle in this age bracket and segment, where corroded brake lines, worn suspension linkages, and exhaust issues frequently appear, indicating either exceptional mechanical condition or potentially limited recent mileage accumulation keeping component wear low. Against the 90,313 recorded miles spread across roughly 11 years, this vehicle accumulates at approximately 8,210 miles annually, which sits comfortably within typical usage expectations for a large luxury off-roader and avoids the extremes of either motorway commuter wear or low-mileage corrosion risks. The pattern of annual or near-annual testing with no recorded mileage anomalies suggests consistent use rather than prolonged periods of standing, which is mechanically favourable for avoiding the dry-joint, brake seizure, and underbody corrosion issues commonly associated with garaged luxury SUVs. The fairly even annual accumulation points to a vehicle that has remained in regular service, allowing mechanical components such as the timing chain, transfer case, and air suspension compressor to operate under normal duty cycles rather than suffering from seized internals through disuse. For a test drive evaluation, despite the absence of flagged advisories, the buyer should focus attention on the specific components most likely to deteriorate on this platform. The electronic air suspension fitted to the Range Rover Sport is known for compressor failure and air spring leaks, so any delay in the vehicle rising to ride height on start-up, a sagging rear or nose-down stance when parked overnight, or the presence of the suspension warning message on the instrument cluster would warrant immediate scrutiny. Listen for any clonks or knocks from the front suspension over speed humps and uneven surfaces, as worn upper and lower control arm bushes and anti-roll bar drop links are common wear items that can develop between tests. The steering should be checked for any vagueness, pulling to one side under braking, or judder through the wheel, all of which could indicate worn track rod ends or warped front brake discs. The braking system should be assessed with the engine running and at speed, feeling for any binding, uneven pedal pressure, or a soft spongy pedal that might point to corrosion within the brake servo or hydraulic issues not yet serious enough to fail an MOT. Under the bonnet, inspect the condition of the coolant hoses, the intercooler pipes for the 3.0 SDV6 or 4.4 SDV8 engines, and the turbocharger for any signs of oil leakage or play, as these diesel units are known to suffer from swirl flap failures and injector seal weeping. Finally, examine the underbody and wheel arches for any emerging corrosion, particularly around the subframe mounting points and the rear axle housing, as although nothing has been flagged to date, this is the age and mileage where structural rust commonly begins to develop on Land Rover products and would not yet necessarily be severe enough to fail a visual inspection but could quickly progress.