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GWD 181

1997 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires30 Oct 2026
Tests17 (12 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate70.6%

Mileage

107,053 mi
Last recorded107,053 miles
Recorded on31 Oct 2025
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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationGWD 181
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,495cc

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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

12 pass 5 fail
Pass 31 Oct 2025 107,053 miles

Front both sides - swivel housing seals leaking grease – monitor and repair as necessary

Fail 20 Oct 2025 107,043 miles

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

Front both sides - swivel housing seals leaking grease – monitor and repair as necessary

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

Pass 3 Sep 2024 106,595 miles
Pass 5 Apr 2023 106,386 miles
Pass 13 Apr 2022 106,221 miles
Fail 8 Apr 2022 106,212 miles

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush both rear (5.3.2 (c))

Oil leak, but not excessive round transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Feb 2021 106,068 miles

Borderline pass drivers floor welding repair

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm bush slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush both rear lower bushes both sides (5.3.2 (c))

Fail 21 Jan 2021 106,032 miles

Front Floor excessively deteriorated drivers footwell (6.2.4 (a) (i))

Front Headlamp aim not tested (4.1.2 (b))

Offside Front Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting footwell (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Position lamp not working all position lamps not working due to switch missing (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Position lamp switch cannot be operated from the normal driving position headlamp/position lamp switch missing (4.2.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm bush slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush both rear lower bushes both sides (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 13 Feb 2020 105,802 miles
Pass 23 Jan 2019 105,792 miles

Nearside Front track rod ends split pins slightly defective, advise replacing

Pass 16 Feb 2018 105,601 miles
Pass 21 Dec 2016 105,299 miles
Pass 6 Jan 2016 104,969 miles

oil level low

Pass 19 Dec 2014 100,133 miles
Fail 19 Dec 2014 100,107 miles

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

Pass 19 Sep 2013 97,513 miles
Fail 19 Sep 2013 97,513 miles

Windscreen wiper blade missing (8.2.2)

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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GWD 181 is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.6%.

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 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 GWD 181, 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 GWD 181?

You can check the full history of GWD 181 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was GWD 181 registered?

GWD 181 is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is GWD 181 safe to buy?

The MOT history for GWD 181 shows 17 tests with a 70.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does GWD 181 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 GWD 181. 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.