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BW04 COW

2004 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 Nov 2026
Tests23 (17 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate73.9%

Mileage

178,297 mi
Last recorded178,297 miles
Recorded on29 Nov 2025
Typical for 2004 Land Rover Defender81,117 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBW04 COW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2004
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 6 fail
Pass 29 Nov 2025 178,297 miles
Pass 29 Oct 2024 176,726 miles

Central Prop shaft bearing has slight play (6.1.7 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 21 Jun 2023 175,879 miles

Near side rear of axle , slight leak

Offside Front Direction indicator flashing more than 120 times a minute (4.4.4 (a))

Offside Rear Direction indicator flashing more than 120 times a minute (4.4.4 (a))

Offside Side repeater flashing more than 120 times a minute (4.4.4 (a))

Pass 29 Jun 2022 170,484 miles

Offside Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Fail 13 Jun 2022 170,484 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Pass 12 May 2021 165,314 miles
Pass 16 May 2019 153,659 miles
Fail 10 May 2019 153,659 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (1.1.2 (c))

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

Steering linkage deformed bent (2.1.3 (c) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment (2.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Steering box drop arm likely to become detached loose (2.1.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Steering box has excessive movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Steering linkage ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 13 Apr 2018 142,035 miles
Pass 15 Nov 2016 127,972 miles

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

Fail 14 Nov 2016 127,972 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement both (2.4.G.2)

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play drop arm (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Lower Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint swivel pin (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement both (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Upper Front suspension has excessive play in a upper suspension ball joint swivel pin (2.5.B.1a)

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

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

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

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

Pass 15 Oct 2015 113,924 miles
Fail 14 Oct 2015 113,924 miles

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

Pass 14 Oct 2014 100,432 miles
Fail 11 Oct 2014 100,432 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Registration plate lamp shows direct white light to the rear (1.1.C.1f)

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

brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 4 Oct 2013 85,272 miles
Fail 2 Oct 2013 85,271 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Offside Rear Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 18 Sep 2012 71,125 miles
Pass 27 Sep 2011 60,609 miles

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

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

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

clutch pedal rubber missing

rear diff seal leaking

Pass 16 Sep 2010 51,698 miles

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

Pass 18 Sep 2009 47,112 miles

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

steering damper rubber bush worn

Pass 12 Sep 2008 40,560 miles
Pass 14 Sep 2007 30,789 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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BW04 COW is a 2004 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.9%.

Across all 2004 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 74.0% with a typical mileage of 81,117 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 BW04 COW, 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 22 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 BW04 COW?

You can check the full history of BW04 COW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BW04 COW registered?

BW04 COW is a 2004 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 21 September 2004.

Is BW04 COW safe to buy?

The MOT history for BW04 COW shows 23 tests with a 73.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BW04 COW 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 BW04 COW. 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.