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D2 DFD

1997 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Sep 2026
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

24,860 mi
Last recorded24,860 miles
Recorded on5 Sep 2025
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 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

RegistrationD2 DFD
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
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

19 pass 8 fail
Pass 5 Sep 2025 24,860 miles

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

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

Fail 4 Sep 2025 24,850 miles

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play rear (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play steering box arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 12 Jul 2024 17,613 miles
Fail 11 Jul 2024 17,603 miles

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

Pass 30 Jun 2023 111,761 miles

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

Pass 12 Jul 2022 9,232 miles

Nearside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive hub seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 7 Jul 2021 3,594 miles
Pass 13 Jul 2020 1,524 miles
Pass 2 Jul 2019 794 miles
Pass 16 Jul 2018 98,971 miles
Pass 17 Jul 2017 93,370 miles
Pass 17 Dec 2016 92,937 miles
Pass 16 Jan 2016 92,647 miles
Pass 26 Mar 2014 91,706 miles
Pass 6 Apr 2013 87,226 miles

Nail in nearside rear tyre

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

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

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

Fail 4 Apr 2013 87,166 miles

Centre Rear Torque/reaction arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Body has a sharp edge caused by damage (6.1.C.1)

Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

Offside Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Nail in nearside rear tyre

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

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

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

Pass 24 Feb 2012 81,444 miles

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

Slight play in steering damper bush

Fail 17 Feb 2012 81,436 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has an excessively worn shock absorber pivot (2.7.4)

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

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

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

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

Slight play in steering damper bush

Fail 1 Mar 2011

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

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

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

heavy engine oil leak

Pass 8 Mar 2010 75,026 miles

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

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

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

heavy engine oil leak

Pass 3 Mar 2009 67,293 miles

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

Oil leak

Fail 2 Mar 2009 67,293 miles

Brake pedal creeps down while the pedal is held under pressure (3.3.B.1a)

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

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Brake pipe leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

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

Oil leak

Pass 11 Mar 2008 62,676 miles

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

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

Oil leak

drop arm & drag link covers split

Fail 10 Mar 2008 62,672 miles

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

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

Fuel system component insecure (7.2.1) DANGEROUS

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b) DANGEROUS

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

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

Oil leak

drop arm & drag link covers split

Pass 9 Mar 2007 59,574 miles
Fail 9 Mar 2007 59,574 miles

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 9 Mar 2006 56,747 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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D2 DFD is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.4%.

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 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 D2 DFD, 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 D2 DFD?

You can check the full history of D2 DFD by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was D2 DFD registered?

D2 DFD is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 26 March 1997.

Is D2 DFD safe to buy?

The MOT history for D2 DFD shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does D2 DFD 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 D2 DFD. 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.