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AFS 544

1998 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Mar 2027
Tests21 (17 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate81%

Mileage

205,985 mi
Last recorded205,985 miles
Recorded on13 Mar 2026
Typical for 1998 Land Rover Defender110,057 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationAFS 544
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1998
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

17 pass 4 fail
Pass 13 Mar 2026 205,985 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2025 202,510 miles

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component power steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 14 Feb 2024 199,195 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

headlight switch worn but working

Pass 10 Feb 2022 199,179 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material all steel pipes (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing side wall very perished tyre age 2002 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe clips or supports missing, pipe adequately supported (1.1.11 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing side wall very perished tyre age 2002 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

headlight switch worn but working

Pass 15 Nov 2018 199,058 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both front and rear (1.1.11 (c))

Front Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

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

Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing both sides (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Rear seats folded not allowing full inspection of seat belts

Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed driver and passenger front (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. efficiency recorded at 53% (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Steering system slightly rough (2.1.1 (a))

Fail 7 Nov 2018 199,005 miles

Offside Front Suspension component ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt attached to the steering arm (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

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

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

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both front and rear (1.1.11 (c))

Front Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

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

Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing both sides (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Rear seats folded not allowing full inspection of seat belts

Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed driver and passenger front (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. efficiency recorded at 53% (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Steering system slightly rough (2.1.1 (a))

Pass 27 Sep 2017 198,296 miles

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 25 Aug 2016 196,548 miles

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 17 Jul 2015 195,023 miles
Fail 3 Jul 2015 194,924 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 17 Jun 2014 192,819 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

St box drop arm slight play

centre exhaust joint coroded but not blowing

Pass 20 May 2013 188,811 miles
Pass 28 May 2012 179,895 miles

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

Pass 11 May 2011 169,297 miles
Fail 11 May 2011 169,297 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

Pass 25 May 2010 159,645 miles

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

Pass 5 Jun 2009 150,628 miles
Fail 2 Jun 2009 150,595 miles

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

Offside Steering arm deformed and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Pass 3 Jun 2008 146,614 miles
Pass 13 Feb 2007 133,648 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Pass 25 Feb 2006 128,079 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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AFS 544 is a 1998 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 81%.

Across all 1998 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.3% with a typical mileage of 110,057 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 AFS 544, 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 28 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 AFS 544?

You can check the full history of AFS 544 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was AFS 544 registered?

AFS 544 is a 1998 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 19 February 1998.

Is AFS 544 safe to buy?

The MOT history for AFS 544 shows 21 tests with a 81% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does AFS 544 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 AFS 544. 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.