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FH51 EXL

2001 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Oct 2026
Tests28 (19 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate67.9%

Mileage

242,329 mi
Last recorded242,329 miles
Recorded on1 Oct 2025
Typical for 2001 Land Rover Defender94,644 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationFH51 EXL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2001
ColourGreen
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 9 fail
Pass 1 Oct 2025 242,329 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

park brake lever travel high

slight play detected rear axle frame ball joint

Pass 26 Sep 2024 230,411 miles
Pass 29 Sep 2023 228,198 miles

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Fail 28 Sep 2023 228,186 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit (8.2.2.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 4 Oct 2022 216,449 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt drag link track rod joint boot perishing (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 27 Sep 2021 210,496 miles
Pass 15 Sep 2020 194,939 miles

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

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

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

Pass 16 Apr 2019 187,203 miles

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

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

Offside track rod end boot deteriorating

Fail 5 Apr 2019 187,146 miles

Fuel hose leaking excessively or a risk of fire secondary filler pipe/breather pipe on top of fuel tank split (6.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

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

Offside track rod end boot deteriorating

Pass 26 Mar 2018 178,640 miles

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Offside Rear Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Fail 20 Mar 2018 178,640 miles

Central Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases rear silencer broken away from centre silencer (7.1.2)

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

Offside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Offside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Offside Rear Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Pass 24 Mar 2017 172,771 miles

Clutch pedal rubber missing

Engine oil leak

Fail 23 Mar 2017 172,740 miles

Offside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (3.6.B.3)

Clutch pedal rubber missing

Engine oil leak

Pass 23 Mar 2016 165,898 miles

Both front steering swivel joints leaking slightly

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

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

Fail 22 Mar 2016 165,898 miles

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

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

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

Both front steering swivel joints leaking slightly

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

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

Pass 18 Mar 2015 152,492 miles
Fail 11 Mar 2015 152,492 miles

Offside Front brake disc contaminated by grease (3.5.1h)

nearside front axle oil leak

Pass 21 Mar 2014 143,602 miles

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

Offside Front Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

both front swivel joints leaking

Pass 6 Mar 2013 136,862 miles

Rear Seat belt attachment fitting slightly deteriorated (5.2.3)

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

Pass 14 Apr 2011 125,685 miles
Fail 12 Apr 2011 125,681 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 12 May 2010 107,889 miles
Fail 7 May 2010 107,889 miles

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

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Headlamp excessively damaged so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate (1.1.C.1e)

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

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

Offside Rear fog lamp slightly discoloured (1.3.2e)

n/s front tyre just contacting radius arm on full lock

Pass 6 May 2009 87,451 miles

Rear fog lamp slightly discoloured (1.3.2e)

front tyres very close to radius arms on full lock

Fail 2 May 2009 87,429 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Front Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

Nearside Rear Valve stem seriously damaged (4.1.D.1e)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Rear fog lamp slightly discoloured (1.3.2e)

front tyres very close to radius arms on full lock

Pass 17 Jan 2008 55,045 miles
Pass 15 Mar 2007 48,240 miles
Pass 21 Mar 2006 39,213 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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FH51 EXL is a 2001 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 67.9%.

Across all 2001 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.0% with a typical mileage of 94,644 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 FH51 EXL, 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 25 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 FH51 EXL?

You can check the full history of FH51 EXL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was FH51 EXL registered?

FH51 EXL is a 2001 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 22 November 2001.

Is FH51 EXL safe to buy?

The MOT history for FH51 EXL shows 28 tests with a 67.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does FH51 EXL 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 FH51 EXL. 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.