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H13 COW

1997 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 Jan 2027
Tests26 (19 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate73.1%

Mileage

192,095 mi
Last recorded192,095 miles
Recorded on22 Jan 2026
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 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

RegistrationH13 COW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourRed
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 7 fail
Pass 22 Jan 2026 192,095 miles

Front Outer Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Both sides. (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

Pass 25 Jun 2024 182,130 miles

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

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

Pass 15 Jun 2023 175,299 miles

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

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 24 May 2022 165,880 miles

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

Pass 12 May 2021 155,279 miles

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 11 May 2020 155,279 miles
Fail 19 Mar 2020 119,729 miles

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

Front Suspension component pin or bush excessively worn both sides (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Anti-roll bar pin or bush excessively worn d bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Front Suspension arm ball joint likely to become detached (5.3.4 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 20 Mar 2019 149,562 miles

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

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 1 Dec 2017 143,588 miles
Pass 18 Nov 2016 136,534 miles

Offside Front spot lamp not working

Fail 18 Nov 2016 136,534 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Front spot lamp not working

Pass 6 Nov 2015 129,954 miles

Exhaust fouling chassis

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

Fail 6 Nov 2015 129,954 miles

Hazard warning switch insecure (1.4.B.1d)

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp switch insecure (1.3.1a)

Nearside Front Ball joint has excessive play steering arm (2.2.B.1f) DANGEROUS

Exhaust fouling chassis

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

Pass 14 Nov 2014 123,263 miles

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

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear Direction indicators slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

o/s/f slighlty damaged

Pass 25 Oct 2013 117,016 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

under vehicle highly corroied.

Pass 27 Oct 2012 109,916 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Front position lamp(s) damaged, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Oil leak

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

no plate lense missing.

slight corrosion on springs.

Pass 8 Nov 2011 104,842 miles
Fail 4 Nov 2011 104,829 miles

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Fail 5 Nov 2009 93,749 miles

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

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 5 Nov 2009 93,749 miles

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

Pass 27 Oct 2008 83,577 miles
Fail 7 Nov 2007 76,888 miles

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

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Pass 7 Nov 2007 76,888 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2006 71,616 miles
Fail 3 Oct 2006 71,616 miles

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

Offside Front Vehicle structure is cracked, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 1 Oct 2005 62,445 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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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.

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H13 COW is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.1%.

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 H13 COW, 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 H13 COW?

You can check the full history of H13 COW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H13 COW registered?

H13 COW is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 20 October 1997.

Is H13 COW safe to buy?

The MOT history for H13 COW 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 H13 COW 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 H13 COW. 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.