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J13 CWC

1997 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires25 Apr 2026
Tests22 (16 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate72.7%

Mileage

221,819 mi
Last recorded221,819 miles
Recorded on26 Apr 2025
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ13 CWC
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourWhite
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

16 pass 6 fail
Pass 26 Apr 2025 221,819 miles

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour but not likely to obscure the vision of other road users (8.2.2.2 (c))

Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed both (7.1.2 (b))

Suspension unit modified but function not affected (5.3.5 (b) (i))

Pass 18 Oct 2019 220,884 miles

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

Nearside Front passenger door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Nearside Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Front passenger door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Offside Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Pass 8 Nov 2018 220,559 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Fail 6 Nov 2018 220,556 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing perishing and splitting (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Fail 23 Oct 2018 220,552 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (8.2.2.2 (b))

Exhaust on a vehicle fitted with a diesel particulate filter emits visible smoke of any colour (8.2.2.2 (d))

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Outer Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Nearside Stop lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.3.3 (b))

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour likely to obscure the vision of other road users (8.2.2.2 (c)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush new bushes fitted incorrectly (5.3.2 (c))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing perishing and splitting (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 22 Sep 2017 194,423 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play rear track rod (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

Pass 13 Sep 2016 182,968 miles
Pass 16 Sep 2015 173,748 miles
Pass 18 Sep 2014 166,022 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2013 158,280 miles
Fail 23 Sep 2013 158,280 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

Pass 25 Sep 2012 146,404 miles

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

Oil leak

Fail 24 Sep 2012 146,402 miles

Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (8.4.1)

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

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

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Oil leak

Pass 21 Sep 2011 138,930 miles
Fail 20 Sep 2011 138,930 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Pass 21 Sep 2010 126,671 miles
Fail 21 Sep 2010 126,671 miles

Fuel tank leaking (7.2.3)

Pass 7 Jul 2009 120,512 miles
Pass 5 Jul 2008 118,539 miles
Pass 17 Jul 2007 113,049 miles
Pass 15 Jul 2006 111,988 miles
Pass 9 Jul 2005 109,832 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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J13 CWC is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in White with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.7%.

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 J13 CWC, 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 J13 CWC?

You can check the full history of J13 CWC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J13 CWC registered?

J13 CWC is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 22 July 1997.

Is J13 CWC safe to buy?

The MOT history for J13 CWC shows 22 tests with a 72.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J13 CWC 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 J13 CWC. 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.