2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0L Diesel · LB04 MCE

The most recent DVSA examination on 22 May 2025 resulted in a PASS with no defects or advisories recorded, and this is corroborated by an identical clean pass on 04 May 2024. Notably, both of these passes followed a FAIL recorded only days earlier on 25 April 2024, with a similar pattern observed in May 2023 where a FAIL on the 15th was followed by a clean PASS on the 20th. While it is reassuring that the vehicle is currently passing without advisories, the cluster of immediate retest failures in consecutive years is a pattern worth probing with the vendor; it suggests the car may have been submitted for test in an unready condition or had a component addressed between tests that was not subsequently recorded as an advisory. The present MOT trend can therefore be regarded as stable on the certificate, but the historical volatility warrants confirmation that any rectification work was carried out to a satisfactory standard rather than as a short-term measure solely to secure a pass. With a recorded mileage of 100,261 miles over approximately fifteen years, the vehicle has averaged around 6,684 miles annually, which sits broadly in line with typical UK usage for a luxury SUV of this vintage. This modest annual figure suggests neither the extensive motorway mileage that accelerates wear on clutches, turbochargers and drivetrain mounts, nor the very low mileage that brings its own age-related concerns. The mileage progression across the recorded tests appears consistent and incremental, with no signs of clocking irregularities, which lends a degree of confidence to the odometer reading. That said, a fifteen-year-old Range Rover Sport will inherently have age-related degradation of components that does not correlate directly with mileage, and this should inform the physical appraisal. Given the absence of recorded advisories, a prospective buyer should perform a targeted age-and-mileage-appropriate inspection rather than relying on the MOT certificate alone. The suspension architecture on this model is particularly susceptible to worn anti-roll bar bushes, perished radius arms, and tired air springs or compressor faults, so the vehicle should be examined on a lift or with each wheel loaded in turn for any play, cracking, or uneven ride height. Brake discs and calipers on a car of this standing are prone to corrosion and seizing, particularly if the vehicle has had periods of light use, so a careful check for binding calipers, scored discs, and the condition of the flexible brake hoses is essential. On a test drive, listen for clonks over speed humps and uneven bumps, feel for any pulling under braking, and observe whether the air suspension levels correctly and promptly after a period of standing. Additional checks should focus on time-served rather than mileage-served degradation. Tyre sidewalls should be inspected closely for perishing and cracking, as fifteen-year-old rubber compounds can harden and crack even with adequate tread depth, and all four tyres should be of matching age specification or replaced as a set. The 12V battery is well beyond its typical service life and is a common cause of non-start issues and electronic fault codes on this platform, so its age and state of charge should be verified. Coolant, brake fluid, and differential and transfer box oils degrade on a calendar basis and should be confirmed as recently serviced; the timing chain on the 3.0 SDV6 and 5.0 V8 variants fitted to this generation is a known wear item and warrants confirmation of replacement history. Finally, a careful under-bonnet and under-body examination for oil leaks from the sump, transfer box, and air suspension compressor, along with an inspection of the exhaust system for corrosion at the joints and mountings, will help establish the true mechanical position of what is, on paper, a clean but distinctly mature vehicle.