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40 WM

1996 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 Aug 2026
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

66,875 mi
Last recorded66,875 miles
Recorded on19 Aug 2025
Typical for 1996 Land Rover Defender122,435 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

Registration40 WM
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1996
ColourBlue
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 5 fail
Pass 19 Aug 2025 66,875 miles
Pass 15 Aug 2024 66,125 miles
Pass 25 Jul 2023 65,166 miles
Pass 22 Jul 2022 64,366 miles

Offside Front Inner hub seal slight seepage

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

Pass 26 Mar 2021 64,340 miles

exhaust rusty at joints

front hub seals weeping

handbrake travel

nearside front brake discs slightly rusty

rear brake hose slightly perished

reverse light inop

slight engine and gearbox oil leaks

Pass 11 Jun 2019 64,137 miles

slight engine and gearbox oil leaks

slight leak from both front hub seals

drive belt slightly perished

exhaust rusty at joints

rear brake hose slightly perished

Pass 7 Jun 2018 63,566 miles

slight leak from both front hub seals

drive belt slightly perished

engine and gearbox oil leaks

exhaust rusty at joints

offside rear shock bushes worn

rear brake hose slightly perished

Pass 23 May 2017 62,863 miles

drive belt slightly perished

engine and gearbox oil weeps

exhaust rusty at joints but ok

rear brake hose slightly perished

Pass 13 May 2016 62,608 miles

slight oil leak

slight play o/s rear lower shockabsorber bush

Fail 11 May 2016 62,608 miles

Fuel tank leaking (7.2.3)

slight oil leak

slight play o/s rear lower shockabsorber bush

Pass 29 May 2015 62,451 miles
Pass 23 May 2014 60,377 miles

engine oil weeps

fuel tank damp

Pass 4 Jun 2013 54,496 miles

o/s/r lower shock bushes worn

rear brake discs slightly worn and rusty

slight engine oil leak

Fail 3 Jun 2013 54,496 miles

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

Offside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

o/s/r lower shock bushes worn

rear brake discs slightly worn and rusty

slight engine oil leak

Pass 18 May 2012 47,991 miles

centre exhaust touching n/s rear axle front trailing arm

engine oil leak

o/s/f trailing arm front axle bush worn

pitman lower ball joint worn

rear brake discs rusty and worn

Fail 17 May 2012 47,991 miles

Centre Rear Upper Trailing arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

centre exhaust touching n/s rear axle front trailing arm

engine oil leak

hand brake travel

o/s/f trailing arm front axle bush worn

pitman lower ball joint worn

rear brake discs rusty and worn

Pass 1 Jun 2011 45,154 miles

both headlamp reflectors in poor condition

engine oil leak

rear brake discs rusty

rear number plate in poor condition

Fail 27 May 2010 42,991 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

ns headlight reflector slightly rusted

Pass 27 May 2010 42,991 miles

ns headlight reflector slightly rusted

Pass 1 Jun 2009 41,129 miles

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

Pass 30 May 2008 39,484 miles

clutch cylinder leaking

Pass 31 May 2007 37,169 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 31 May 2006 35,023 miles
Fail 31 May 2006 35,023 miles

Outer Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Rear Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 31 May 2005 31,996 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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40 WM is a 1996 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

Across all 1996 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.0% with a typical mileage of 122,435 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 40 WM, 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 30 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 40 WM?

You can check the full history of 40 WM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 40 WM registered?

40 WM is a 1996 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 6 June 1996.

Is 40 WM safe to buy?

The MOT history for 40 WM shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 40 WM 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 40 WM. 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.