CarVerify

Free Car Check

AR05 DZC

2005 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Jul 2027
Tests25 (17 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate68%

Mileage

129,143 mi
Last recorded129,143 miles
Recorded on6 Jul 2026
Typical for 2005 Land Rover Defender76,444 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationAR05 DZC
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2005
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

17 pass 8 fail
Pass 6 Jul 2026 129,143 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt all 2 (2.1.3 (g) (i))

hand brake travel 2

smoke reading high just passed test 2

Pass 13 May 2025 128,461 miles

Central Exhaust mounting defective flange corroded and weak (6.1.2 (a))

hand brake travel

smoke reading just passed test

Fail 12 May 2025 128,465 miles

Dipswitch does not operate immediately when selected on dipped beam (4.1.3 (b))

Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm joint (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Central Exhaust mounting defective flange corroded and weak (6.1.2 (a))

hand brake travel

smoke reading just passed test

Pass 19 Apr 2024 125,870 miles

Central Rear Exhaust mounting defective flange (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Shock absorbers has a reduced damping effect both rears (5.3.2 (d))

Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt on drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

hand brake long travel

smoke reading close to limit

Fail 18 Apr 2024 125,870 miles

Headlamp aim too high both (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Central Rear Exhaust mounting defective flange (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Shock absorbers has a reduced damping effect both rears (5.3.2 (d))

Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt on drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

hand brake long travel

smoke reading close to limit

Pass 3 May 2023 123,095 miles

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

Fail 11 Apr 2023 123,093 miles

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn arm front bush worn or lose on nut (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn front axle tie rod nearside bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Track rod end ball joint has excessive play steering box drop joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Central Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases flange corroded and weak (6.1.2 (a))

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

Pass 17 Mar 2022 119,143 miles

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

emission reading high just passed

Pass 26 Mar 2021 114,662 miles

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

exhaust corroded weak

smoke reading high

Fail 24 Mar 2021 114,662 miles

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Upper Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush so worn or insecure that directional stability is impaired (5.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

exhaust corroded weak

smoke reading high

Pass 27 Mar 2020 110,873 miles

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

Pass 12 Mar 2019 104,979 miles

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 29 Mar 2018 98,306 miles

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

Central exhaust very weak

Offside Rear bump stop weak

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush both rears (2.7.4)

Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt drop arm (2.2.C.1c)

Track rod end ball joint has slight play both rear of hubs (2.2.B.1f)

Fail 29 Mar 2018 98,306 miles

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

Central exhaust very weak

Offside Rear bump stop weak

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush both rears (2.7.4)

Stop lamp not working both (1.2.1b)

Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt drop arm (2.2.C.1c)

Track rod end ball joint has slight play both rear of hubs (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 28 Mar 2017 94,381 miles

Ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt Nearside And Offside Rear Link Covers (2.2.C.1c)

Brake pipe slightly corroded Nearside And Offside Rear.Front To Rear At Rear And Both Front Pipes. (3.6.B.2c)

Rear fog lamp damaged, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Fail 28 Mar 2017 94,381 miles

Ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt Nearside And Offside Rear Link Covers (2.2.C.1c)

Brake pipe slightly corroded Nearside And Offside Rear.Front To Rear At Rear And Both Front Pipes. (3.6.B.2c)

Rear fog lamp damaged, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 22 Mar 2016 89,393 miles

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

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

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 20 Mar 2015 84,508 miles
Fail 19 Mar 2015 84,508 miles

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

Nearside Lower Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Pass 8 Mar 2014 79,742 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2013 76,580 miles

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

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

Pass 29 Mar 2012 70,140 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

n/s/f swivel joint leaking

Fail 19 Mar 2012 70,138 miles

Front Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

n/s/f swivel joint leaking

Pass 7 Sep 2010 65,785 miles
Pass 16 Sep 2008 51,535 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

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

AR05 DZC is a 2005 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 68%.

Across all 2005 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 74.3% with a typical mileage of 76,444 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 AR05 DZC, 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 21 years old, this Land Rover Defender is still in the earlier part of its expected life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of AR05 DZC?

You can check the full history of AR05 DZC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was AR05 DZC registered?

AR05 DZC is a 2005 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 28 July 2005.

Is AR05 DZC safe to buy?

The MOT history for AR05 DZC shows 25 tests with a 68% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does AR05 DZC 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 AR05 DZC. 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.