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171 PDE

1997 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Nov 2026
Tests24 (21 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate87.5%

Mileage

186,239 mi
Last recorded186,239 miles
Recorded on13 Nov 2025
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

Registration171 PDE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourGrey
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,495cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

21 pass 3 fail
Pass 13 Nov 2025 186,239 miles
Pass 28 Oct 2024 185,994 miles
Pass 17 Oct 2023 185,336 miles

Central Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Coolant leak ()

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Oil leak, but not excessive SWIVEL JOINT (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Oil leak, but not excessive ENGINE (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 4 Apr 2023 184,204 miles

Central Rear Upper Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

underside showing signs of corrosion

Pass 1 Apr 2022 180,996 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated track rod end (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively rear most (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Pass 14 Dec 2020 174,838 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive diff sway bar (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Suspension rod ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 12 Dec 2019 170,674 miles

Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play tractor joint (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Dec 2018 164,549 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 8 Dec 2017 158,714 miles

nearside rear bumpstop missing

Pass 3 Dec 2016 152,872 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases centre at joint (7.1.2)

Nearside Front sphere weeping

Oil leak ()

nearside outer trackrod end balljoint gaitor split but ok.

Fail 3 Dec 2016 152,872 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases centre at joint (7.1.2)

Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Front sphere weeping

Oil leak ()

nearside outer trackrod end balljoint gaitor split but ok.

Pass 24 Nov 2015 146,850 miles

All tyres starting to deteriorate

Wipers not self parking

Fail 20 Nov 2015 146,850 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases Exhaust box (7.1.2)

Position lamp switch insecure (1.1.A.1)

All tyres starting to deteriorate

Wipers not self parking

Pass 25 Nov 2014 140,405 miles
Pass 2 Dec 2013 137,880 miles

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Pass 10 Dec 2012 135,393 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 14 Dec 2011 133,394 miles
Pass 26 Aug 2011 132,862 miles
Pass 29 Jul 2010 127,908 miles
Pass 6 Aug 2009 119,535 miles
Pass 14 Aug 2008 110,163 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Pass 26 Aug 2007 104,620 miles
Fail 25 Aug 2006 96,227 miles

Front Fuel pipe union leaking (7.2.3)

Pass 25 Aug 2006 96,227 miles

How Reliable is the Land Rover Defender?

Based on 2,960,045 MOT tests across 181,953 vehicles.

72.3%
Pass Rate
3,550
Miles/Year
43
Year Lifespan
181,953
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush 77,499
Brake pipe excessively corroded 77,229
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 57,749
position lamp(s) not working 53,914
Stop lamp not working 52,341
Full Land Rover Defender reliability report

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171 PDE is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 87.5%.

Across all 1997 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.5% with a typical mileage of 117,879 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Land Rover Defender fails its MOT is shock absorber has an excessively worn bush, accounting for 77,499 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 171 PDE, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Land Rover Defender typically stays on UK roads for around 43 years. At 29 years old, this Land Rover Defender is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 171 PDE?

You can check the full history of 171 PDE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 171 PDE registered?

171 PDE is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 11 September 1997.

Is 171 PDE safe to buy?

The MOT history for 171 PDE shows 24 tests with a 87.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 171 PDE have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on 171 PDE. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.