CarVerify

Free Car Check

300 MAR

1997 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 Mar 2027
Tests26 (20 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76.9%

Mileage

115,922 mi
Last recorded115,922 miles
Recorded on7 Mar 2026
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

Registration300 MAR
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourRed
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

20 pass 6 fail
Pass 7 Mar 2026 115,922 miles

Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

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

Pass 25 Mar 2025 104,360 miles

Offside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

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

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

Pass 25 Mar 2024 92,619 miles

Offside Front swivel housing has slight oil leak

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

Pass 25 Mar 2023 84,758 miles

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

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

Fail 16 Mar 2023 84,730 miles

Front Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play steering box drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 20 Mar 2022 79,385 miles

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing both rears corroded (5.3.2 (b))

Fail 23 Dec 2021 79,285 miles

Hazard warning switch inoperative (4.4.2 (a) (ii))

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Service brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.2.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 3 Dec 2020 78,208 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 6 Jun 2019 73,091 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Fail 6 Jun 2019 73,091 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 11 May 2018 70,822 miles
Pass 5 May 2017 69,178 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Fail 3 May 2017 69,178 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 6 May 2016 67,667 miles
Pass 8 May 2015 65,951 miles
Pass 29 Apr 2014 64,143 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Oil leak

Pass 26 Apr 2013 61,416 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 27 Apr 2012 57,758 miles
Fail 27 Apr 2012 57,758 miles

Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 28 Apr 2011 55,897 miles
Pass 26 Apr 2010 52,392 miles
Pass 29 Apr 2009 45,466 miles

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

boot rubber coming away from joint on drop link

nearside door mirror broke

Pass 22 May 2007 42,328 miles
Pass 1 Jun 2006 38,345 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2005 35,171 miles
Fail 7 Jun 2005 35,163 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (3.6.B.3)

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

Nearside Front Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Front Radius arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Nearside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (3.6.B.3)

Offside Front Radius arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

300 MAR is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.9%.

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 300 MAR, 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 300 MAR?

You can check the full history of 300 MAR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 300 MAR registered?

300 MAR is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 13 June 1997.

Is 300 MAR safe to buy?

The MOT history for 300 MAR shows 26 tests with a 76.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 300 MAR 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 300 MAR. 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.