CarVerify

Free Car Check

DN51 VPU

2002 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2500cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires22 Jan 2027
Tests32 (20 pass, 12 fail)
Pass rate62.5%

Mileage

82,620 mi
Last recorded82,620 miles
Recorded on20 Jan 2026
Typical for 2002 Land Rover Defender91,689 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationDN51 VPU
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2002
ColourBlue
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,500cc

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

20 pass 12 fail
Pass 20 Jan 2026 82,620 miles
Fail 20 Jan 2026 82,616 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 21 Jan 2025 79,675 miles

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

Power steering ram has slight seepage from a joint oil on steering box possible leaking (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 21 Jan 2025 79,675 miles

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

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

Power steering ram has slight seepage from a joint oil on steering box possible leaking (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 17 Jan 2024 78,153 miles
Fail 17 Jan 2024 78,153 miles

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

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 23 Jan 2023 76,900 miles
Fail 17 Jan 2023 76,897 miles

Offside Front Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Rear Other passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

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

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

Pass 17 Jan 2022 76,062 miles
Fail 12 Jan 2022 76,062 miles

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play steering box drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 11 Dec 2020 75,275 miles

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

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

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement lower arm rear bushes in chassis split (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt track rod ends (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Fail 11 Dec 2020 75,275 miles

Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement lower arm rear bushes in chassis split (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt track rod ends (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 21 May 2019 72,244 miles

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front arm rear bushes perished (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 4 Jun 2018 68,648 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 5 Jun 2017 66,091 miles

Nearside Front swivel weeping

slight lift in steering box main shaft

Pass 22 Apr 2016 64,346 miles

Nearside Front hub seal just starting to get damp

rear of vehicle very heavy with corrosion

Fail 14 Apr 2016 64,344 miles

Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded bulkhead (3.6.C.3)

Exhaust system not adequately supported rear mount (7.1.1)

Nearside Front Steering component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.2.C.1h)

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

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

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

Nearside Front hub seal just starting to get damp

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

rear of vehicle very heavy with corrosion

Pass 21 Apr 2015 63,041 miles

Nearside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 7 Apr 2014 62,061 miles

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Fail 7 Apr 2014 62,061 miles

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

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

spare tyre defective

Pass 17 Apr 2013 58,449 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2012 57,336 miles
Pass 15 Apr 2011 56,059 miles
Fail 7 Apr 2011 56,058 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 24 Feb 2010 52,823 miles
Pass 10 Feb 2009 50,574 miles

rear cross member rusty & weak around towbar & step mounting area.

Fail 10 Feb 2009 50,574 miles

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

Offside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

rear cross member rusty & weak around towbar & step mounting area.

Pass 1 Feb 2008 45,862 miles
Fail 1 Feb 2008 45,862 miles

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incomplete (1.5.A1b)

Registration plate lamp flickers when tapped lightly by hand (1.1.5e)

Pass 20 Jan 2007 41,039 miles
Fail 19 Jan 2007 41,039 miles

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

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

Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 24 Jan 2006 34,530 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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

DN51 VPU is a 2002 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 32 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.5%.

Across all 2002 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.1% with a typical mileage of 91,689 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 DN51 VPU, 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 24 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 DN51 VPU?

You can check the full history of DN51 VPU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was DN51 VPU registered?

DN51 VPU is a 2002 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 23 January 2002.

Is DN51 VPU safe to buy?

The MOT history for DN51 VPU shows 32 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 DN51 VPU 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 DN51 VPU. 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.