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B3 DTJ

1997 Land Rover Defender

Yellow Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Mar 2027
Tests18 (10 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate55.6%

Mileage

130,058 mi
Last recorded130,058 miles
Recorded on18 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
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationB3 DTJ
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourYellow
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

10 pass 8 fail
Pass 18 Mar 2026 130,058 miles

Front swivel seals leaking

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

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

Fail 18 Mar 2026 130,058 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Front swivel seals leaking

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

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

Pass 14 Mar 2025 127,595 miles

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

Fail 14 Mar 2025 127,595 miles

Offside Stop lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.3.3 (b))

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

Pass 21 Mar 2024 125,365 miles

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

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

Fail 18 Mar 2024 125,365 miles

Fluid leak harmful to the environment or a risk to other road users fuel leaking from fuel tank (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

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

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

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

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

Steering wheel has movement relative to the column such that there is a serious risk of detachment (2.2.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

steering box drop arm lock tab not fitted correctly

Pass 24 Mar 2023 122,289 miles

Nearside Front foot well corroded

all four wheels have slight wheel bearing free play

top steering UJ has slight wear

Fail 22 Mar 2023 122,289 miles

Nearside Front Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Nearside Front Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Nearside Front foot well corroded

all four wheels have slight wheel bearing free play

four centre body bolts missing

top steering UJ has slight wear

Fail 27 Jan 2023 122,161 miles

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Chassis at rear mounting point of trailing arm (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Power steering component leaking Steering box (2.1.5 (a))

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

Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play Drop arm ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Vehicle structure fractured seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Both front swivel seals leaking slightly

Exhaust badly corroded

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

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

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

Pass 9 Feb 2022 120,601 miles

Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn both small oil leak (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases pipe small holes (6.1.2 (a))

Fail 9 Feb 2022 120,601 miles

Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn both small oil leak (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases pipe small holes (6.1.2 (a))

Rear Registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps (4.7.2 (a))

Pass 15 Mar 2018 120,408 miles

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

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 15 Mar 2018 120,408 miles

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

Nearside Obligatory mirror seriously damaged, affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 16 Sep 2016 120,088 miles
Pass 7 Jan 2008 109,172 miles
Fail 4 Jan 2008 109,138 miles

An item not tested (Manual)

Nearside Track rod end deformed and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Offside Rear Brake stationary pin locking device missing (3.5.1l) DANGEROUS

Pass 20 Dec 2006 99,736 miles
Pass 6 Jan 2006 90,342 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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B3 DTJ is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Yellow with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 55.6%.

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 B3 DTJ, 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 B3 DTJ?

You can check the full history of B3 DTJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B3 DTJ registered?

B3 DTJ is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 14 February 1997.

Is B3 DTJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for B3 DTJ shows 18 tests with a 55.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B3 DTJ 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 B3 DTJ. 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.