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C897 PRN

1996 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Mar 2027
Tests26 (19 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate73.1%

Mileage

227,091 mi
Last recorded227,091 miles
Recorded on20 Mar 2026
Typical for 1996 Land Rover Defender122,435 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC897 PRN
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1996
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,494cc

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

19 pass 7 fail
Pass 20 Mar 2026 227,091 miles
Pass 3 Feb 2025 225,811 miles

Damp around steering box

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened x 2 (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Handbrake travel high

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

Nearside front floor corroded near both body mounts but body still fully supported by all other mounts

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

Offside rear cross member corroded outside 30cm from tow bar mount

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

PAS belt noisy in operation

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Across axle (1.1.11 (c))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 17 Nov 2023 224,969 miles

Engine oil leak

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened x 2 (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Handbrake travel high

Power steering noisy in operation

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Handbrake disc (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fail 18 Sep 2023 224,969 miles

Emissions unable to be completed Due to excessive blow at front (8.2.2.2 (e))

Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Suspension component pin or bush excessively worn swivel bearings (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Suspension component pin or bush excessively worn swivel bearings (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Handbrake disc (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened x 2 (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Handbrake travel high

PAS noisy in operation

Pass 3 May 2022 224,844 miles

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

offside and nearside front floorpans corroded

oil leaks

slight leak to front end exhaust joint

Pass 4 May 2021 224,201 miles

slight corrosion close to nearside front body mounting

slight leak to front exhaust section

Pass 14 May 2020 223,640 miles

Nearside Front Cab or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security floor (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

Offside Front Cab or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security floor (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Rear bumper surface corrosion

Fail 13 May 2020 223,640 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

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

Nearside Front Cab or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security floor (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

Offside Front Cab or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security floor (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Rear bumper surface corrosion

Pass 24 Apr 2019 221,909 miles

Front Swivels both sides slight movement

Nearside Rear Half shaft slight oil leak

Pass 9 Jul 2018 220,852 miles

Central exhaust cracked

Front floor areas rusted

Pass 11 Jul 2017 219,128 miles

Oil leak Steering box ()

Pass 19 Aug 2016 216,891 miles
Pass 14 Aug 2015 213,716 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 21 Aug 2014 212,476 miles

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 21 Aug 2014 212,471 miles

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

Rear Brake pipe inadequately supported (3.6.B.1)

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 10 Mar 2014 212,441 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

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

Service brake is causing the vehicle to swerve to the offside (3.7.C.2)

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch

Pass 4 Dec 2012 210,884 miles
Fail 26 Nov 2012 210,739 miles

Offside Front Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Offside Front Steering component is not secure to the vehicle structure (2.2.B.1a)

Rear fog lamp switch faulty (1.3.1a)

Pass 24 Nov 2011 206,919 miles
Pass 26 Nov 2010 201,978 miles
Pass 14 Apr 2010 201,912 miles
Fail 9 Apr 2010 201,912 miles

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

Nearside Front Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 2 Dec 2008 190,118 miles
Pass 4 Dec 2007 176,510 miles
Fail 3 Dec 2007 176,508 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 27 Nov 2006 164,543 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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C897 PRN is a 1996 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,494cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.1%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 C897 PRN, 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 C897 PRN?

You can check the full history of C897 PRN by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C897 PRN registered?

C897 PRN is a 1996 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1996.

Is C897 PRN safe to buy?

The MOT history for C897 PRN shows 26 tests with a 73.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C897 PRN 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 C897 PRN. 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.