2013 Land Rover Range Rover 4.4L Diesel · LM07 SAM

A thirteen-year-old Range Rover presenting 81,057 miles across seven recorded MOT tests tells a narrowly focused mechanical story centred almost entirely on front nearside and offside tyre condition. The single dangerous failure recorded on 2025-09-29 cited exposed cords on the offside front tyre, immediately preceded by an advisory for the same wheel wearing close to the legal limit, suggesting an edge wear pattern that had developed between tests. A second failure in January 2021 flagged a deep cut to the offside front inner sidewall reaching the ply cords, which is structurally identical territory to the more recent dangerous defect. With both recorded failures isolated to the front offside tyre area and no other mechanical, structural, or lighting defects appearing anywhere in the history, the roadworthiness record is clean outside of a recurring front-axle tyre management issue that has now escalated from advisory to dangerous in successive tests. The mileage accumulation rate of approximately 6,235 miles per year sits close to the average expected for a vehicle of this age and platform, indicating neither a low-use garage queen nor a high-mileage workhorse. However, the test frequency reveals extended periods of inactivity that warrant attention. No MOT was recorded between August 2022 and May 2024, a gap of roughly twenty months, and another fifteen-month gap separates January 2021 from August 2021, before the pattern settles into more regular annual testing. Standing periods on a Range Rover of this generation commonly produce seized brake calipers, dried suspension bushes, perished air suspension components, and brake disc corrosion. The fact that no advisories have ever been logged for seized brakes, binding callipers, or deteriorated suspension components despite these lay-ups is a positive signal, though it cannot confirm the internal condition of the air spring bags or compressor system, which are not directly examined during an MOT. Prospective buyers should concentrate their physical inspection on the front axle geometry and suspension, given that both recorded failures involved the offside front wheel. An uneven edge wear pattern repeated on the same corner typically points to geometry misalignment, a worn front lower wishbone or upper arm bush, a deteriorating track rod end, or a sagging front coil spring. On a test drive, listen for clonking or knocking through the front end over speed humps and uneven surfaces, particularly on full lock where worn CV joints or perished anti-roll bar bushes become audible. The steering should self-centre smoothly without vibration through the rim, and any pulling to one side under steady throttle on a flat road warrants immediate geometry and tyre shoulder inspection. Given that the 2025 test issued a dangerous defect for an exposed cord, the present tyres should be scrutinised for age-related sidewall cracking and tread wear across both inner and outer shoulders. Given the documented edge wear history on the front offside, a four-wheel alignment printout from any test centre or Land Rover specialist should be requested, along with evidence that the front suspension arms, drop links, and bushes have been replaced or inspected recently. The Range Rover's air suspension system, if fitted, deserves particular attention: listen for the compressor cutting in and out excessively on start-up, watch for the vehicle settling noticeably overnight, and check for any warning messages on the instrument cluster relating to suspension faults. Brake feel should be firm and progressive, with no judder under heavy application, as seized front calipers are a known weak point on this generation and would not necessarily be captured as a defect unless severely binding at the time of test. A thick undertray inspection for fluid leaks from the differential, transfer box, and engine sump is also worthwhile, alongside a borescope examination of the front and rear brake disc friction surfaces through the wheel spokes to confirm the calipers are releasing fully after a journey.