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C12 RBO

1997 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 May 2027
Tests32 (21 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate65.6%

Mileage

116,070 mi
Last recorded116,070 miles
Recorded on14 Apr 2026
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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC12 RBO
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
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

21 pass 11 fail
Pass 14 Apr 2026 116,070 miles
Pass 9 May 2025 114,016 miles

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

Fail 2 May 2025 114,012 miles

Nearside Front Steering lock stop missing (2.1.4 (b))

Nearside Front Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake disc contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

Offside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (5.2.3 (f))

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

Offside Front Brake pipe connection leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 15 Apr 2024 113,296 miles
Pass 6 Apr 2023 112,434 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2022 111,925 miles
Pass 9 Apr 2021 110,782 miles

Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement panhard rod from chassis to front axle bushes both sides worn,monitor (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 7 Apr 2020 109,978 miles

Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement panard rod bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Steering linkage ball joint has slight play drop arm to drag link (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 31 Mar 2020 109,977 miles

All position lamps adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Hazard warning lamps inoperative (4.4.1 (e))

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

Nearside Headlamp light source and lamp not compatible (4.1.4 (c))

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

Offside Rear fog lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.5.4 (b))

Sound deadening material insecure (8.1.1 (b) (i))

Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement panard rod bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Steering linkage ball joint has slight play drop arm to drag link (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 1 Apr 2019 108,623 miles
Pass 16 May 2018 107,958 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2017 106,829 miles

Offside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Fail 13 Feb 2017 106,828 miles

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

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

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

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

Offside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 23 Mar 2016 105,405 miles

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

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 8 Apr 2015 103,822 miles
Fail 8 Apr 2015 103,821 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (3.3.A.1b)

Offside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

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

brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.D.4) DANGEROUS

Centre Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Front Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Nearside Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Offside Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 10 Jul 2014 103,194 miles
Fail 10 Jul 2014 103,194 miles

Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.2.B.1a)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

Pass 20 Aug 2013 101,937 miles
Fail 20 Aug 2013 101,937 miles

Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.2.B.1a)

rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Pass 23 Aug 2012 100,360 miles

park brake could be better

Fail 23 Aug 2012 100,360 miles

Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.2.B.1a)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

Offside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

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

park brake could be better

Pass 11 Aug 2011 98,767 miles
Fail 9 Aug 2011 98,767 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Offside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

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

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

Pass 26 Aug 2010 97,462 miles

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 26 Aug 2009 95,646 miles
Fail 25 Aug 2009 95,646 miles

Brake cable locking device insecure (3.5.1l)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 7 Aug 2008 94,515 miles

Front Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Pass 7 Aug 2007 91,992 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Fail 7 Aug 2007 91,992 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Fail 20 Jul 2006 91,891 miles

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

Pass 20 Jul 2006 91,891 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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C12 RBO is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 32 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.6%.

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 C12 RBO, 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 C12 RBO?

You can check the full history of C12 RBO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C12 RBO registered?

C12 RBO is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 21 April 1997.

Is C12 RBO safe to buy?

The MOT history for C12 RBO shows 32 tests with a 65.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C12 RBO 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 C12 RBO. 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.