CarVerify

Free Car Check

BE04 LEW

2005 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Feb 2027
Tests26 (18 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate69.2%

Mileage

204,920 mi
Last recorded204,920 miles
Recorded on17 Feb 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

RegistrationBE04 LEW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2005
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

18 pass 8 fail
Pass 17 Feb 2026 204,920 miles

Items removed from driver's view prior to test ()

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

Rear body mount cross member, just in front of rear wheels corroded

Fail 13 Feb 2026 204,377 miles

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Other passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Items removed from driver's view prior to test ()

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

Rear body mount cross member, just in front of rear wheels corroded

Pass 29 Jan 2025 197,050 miles

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

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive minor engine oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Small areas on pipes across axle have slight corrosion (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 29 Jan 2025 197,050 miles

Offside Rear Other passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

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

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive minor engine oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Small areas on pipes across axle have slight corrosion (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 16 Feb 2024 188,806 miles

Items removed from driver's view prior to test ()

Oil leak, but not excessive minor engine oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive minor leak from gearbox (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt steering arm ball joint boot slightly perished (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 13 Feb 2023 169,128 miles
Fail 6 Feb 2023 168,648 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Position lamp switch does not operate in accordance with the requirements (4.2.2 (a))

Pass 4 Feb 2022 147,649 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. Pulling Slightly to N/S (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Front Items removed from driver's view prior to test ()

Fail 4 Feb 2022 147,643 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. Pulling Slightly to N/S (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Front Items removed from driver's view prior to test ()

Pass 20 Feb 2021 124,866 miles
Pass 24 Feb 2020 114,851 miles
Pass 17 Apr 2019 114,082 miles
Pass 3 Apr 2018 110,880 miles

front and rear suspension bushes showing fatigue

rear suspension components showing corrosion

Fail 28 Mar 2018 110,880 miles

Central Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (3.6.B.2c)

Central Braking system leaking front to rear brake pipe (3.6.A.1)

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

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

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

front and rear suspension bushes showing fatigue

rear suspension components showing corrosion

Pass 13 Mar 2017 110,272 miles

front and front to rear metal brake pipes showing corrosion

Fail 11 Mar 2017 110,272 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

front and front to rear metal brake pipes showing corrosion

Pass 2 Mar 2016 102,817 miles

n/s/front headlamp poor image

n/s/front wheel bearing play

o/s/f metal brake pipe slight corrosion

Fail 2 Mar 2016 102,817 miles

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

n/s/front headlamp poor image

n/s/front wheel bearing play

o/s/f metal brake pipe slight corrosion

Pass 11 Mar 2015 93,665 miles

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

Oil leak

Pass 13 Jun 2013 74,423 miles

o/s/front metal brake pipe showing corrosion

o/s/rear shock absorber has signs of damp

rear number plate slightly impaired

rear section of front to rear metal brake pipe showing corrosion

Pass 6 Jul 2012 63,429 miles
Pass 10 May 2011 46,317 miles
Pass 14 May 2010 39,400 miles
Pass 22 May 2009 35,350 miles
Pass 15 Oct 2008 35,206 miles
Fail 15 Oct 2008 35,206 miles

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

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

BE04 LEW is a 2005 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69.2%.

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 BE04 LEW, 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 BE04 LEW?

You can check the full history of BE04 LEW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BE04 LEW registered?

BE04 LEW is a 2005 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 30 September 2005.

Is BE04 LEW safe to buy?

The MOT history for BE04 LEW shows 26 tests with a 69.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BE04 LEW 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 BE04 LEW. 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.