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B1 WAR

1997 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires9 Dec 2026
Tests31 (20 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate64.5%

Mileage

32,282 mi
Last recorded32,282 miles
Recorded on10 Dec 2025
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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationB1 WAR
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourBlack
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 11 fail
Pass 10 Dec 2025 32,282 miles
Pass 4 Dec 2024 31,491 miles
Fail 2 Dec 2024 31,489 miles

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers likely to become detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 1 Dec 2023 30,866 miles
Pass 15 Nov 2022 30,058 miles
Pass 17 Nov 2021 28,790 miles

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

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

Fail 16 Nov 2021 28,788 miles

Braking system leaking (1.1.3 (d))

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

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 23 Nov 2020 27,841 miles

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

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

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

Pass 15 Nov 2019 26,800 miles

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

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

Fail 14 Nov 2019 26,800 miles

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

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

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

Pass 3 Dec 2018 25,305 miles
Fail 26 Nov 2018 25,278 miles

All direction indicators not working Flashing hazards when indicators are turned on (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 27 Nov 2017 23,416 miles

Nearside Front swivel joint seal leaking slightly

Offside Front swivel joint seal leaking slightly

Pass 21 Nov 2016 19,984 miles
Fail 14 Nov 2016 19,982 miles

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 10 Nov 2015 16,160 miles
Pass 14 Nov 2014 12,560 miles
Fail 13 Nov 2014 12,558 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Front wipers split but still clear the screen

Pass 8 Nov 2013 7,821 miles
Fail 7 Nov 2013 7,819 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Pass 5 Nov 2012 3,316 miles

Exhaust system corroded

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

Fail 5 Nov 2012 3,315 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Engine oil leak, possible pressure switch

Exhaust system corroded

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

Pass 28 Nov 2011 1,232 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 25 Nov 2010 63,025 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 25 Nov 2010 63,025 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 30 Oct 2009 59,165 miles
Fail 29 Oct 2009 59,162 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

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

Rear Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 30 Oct 2008 54,652 miles
Fail 29 Oct 2008 54,646 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Pass 6 Nov 2007 51,108 miles

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

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

both front tyres sidewall light cracking

Pass 1 Nov 2006 48,378 miles

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

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

both front tyres have light sidewall cracks

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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B1 WAR is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.5%.

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 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 B1 WAR, 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 B1 WAR?

You can check the full history of B1 WAR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B1 WAR registered?

B1 WAR is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 26 November 1997.

Is B1 WAR safe to buy?

The MOT history for B1 WAR shows 31 tests with a 64.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B1 WAR 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 B1 WAR. 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.