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BEN 5R

1996 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Sep 2026
Tests24 (15 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate62.5%

Mileage

125,860 mi
Last recorded125,860 miles
Recorded on2 Sep 2025
Typical for 1996 Land Rover Defender122,435 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

RegistrationBEN 5R
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1996
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

15 pass 9 fail
Pass 2 Sep 2025 125,860 miles
Pass 13 Jan 2022 125,777 miles

Nearside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint has slight play front of wheel (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Direction indicator slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (4.4.3 (b))

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Fail 13 Jan 2022 125,777 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Nearside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint has slight play front of wheel (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Front Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Direction indicator slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (4.4.3 (b))

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 16 May 2020 125,752 miles
Fail 6 Jan 2020 125,743 miles

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

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

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Headlamp switch does not immediately illuminate all main beam headlamps (4.1.3 (a))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 24 Jul 2017 124,391 miles

Nearside Brake pipe slightly corroded flexi to caliper (3.6.B.2c)

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

Fail 14 Jul 2017 124,388 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Brake pipe excessively corroded flexi to caliper (3.6.B.2c)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Brake pipe slightly corroded flexi to caliper (3.6.B.2c)

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

Pass 29 Apr 2016 124,171 miles
Pass 27 Mar 2015 122,855 miles
Fail 13 Jan 2015 122,803 miles

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Headlamp switch faulty (1.7.1)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Offside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Offside Rear Shock absorber casing damaged externally so the unit does not function (2.7.2a)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Rear Axle has inadequate clearance with the bump stop (2.4.A.1a)

Rear rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.6.6)

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

Pass 2 Aug 2013 119,252 miles

Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

Fail 27 Jul 2013 119,252 miles

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

Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

Pass 14 Jul 2012 115,336 miles

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

rear crossmember slightly corroded

Fail 14 Jul 2012 115,336 miles

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

rear crossmember slightly corroded

Pass 17 Aug 2011 113,448 miles
Fail 16 Aug 2011 113,448 miles

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

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

front brakes release unevenly (3.7.B.4)

Front discs corroded

Pass 19 Aug 2010 109,989 miles
Fail 18 Aug 2010 109,988 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Rear Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 7 Aug 2009 103,586 miles

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

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

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

Pass 15 Aug 2008 95,888 miles
Pass 7 Dec 2007 94,574 miles
Pass 16 Nov 2006 92,361 miles
Pass 18 Nov 2005 87,228 miles
Fail 17 Nov 2005 87,228 miles

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Offside Inner Rear Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

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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BEN 5R is a 1996 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.5%.

Across all 1996 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.0% with a typical mileage of 122,435 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 BEN 5R, 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 30 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 BEN 5R?

You can check the full history of BEN 5R by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BEN 5R registered?

BEN 5R is a 1996 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 6 January 1996.

Is BEN 5R safe to buy?

The MOT history for BEN 5R shows 24 tests with a 62.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BEN 5R 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 BEN 5R. 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.