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J23 HAY

1998 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires15 Oct 2026
Tests27 (21 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

178,333 mi
Last recorded178,333 miles
Recorded on16 Oct 2025
Typical for 1998 Land Rover Defender110,057 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ23 HAY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1998
ColourBlue
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

21 pass 6 fail
Pass 16 Oct 2025 178,333 miles
Pass 4 Sep 2024 177,427 miles

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

Rear Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively front of rear prop. (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Pass 23 Aug 2023 175,885 miles
Fail 23 Aug 2023 175,885 miles

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 17 Aug 2022 171,289 miles
Fail 17 Aug 2022 171,156 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Pass 16 Aug 2021 165,836 miles
Fail 16 Aug 2021 165,836 miles

Nearside Front All direction indicators not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 3 Nov 2020 165,827 miles

Offside Front tractor joint has a slight leak

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

drivers door is corroded on inner

passenger door is corroded on inner

Pass 21 May 2019 165,823 miles

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

Offside Front Lower Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Offside Front tractor joint has a slight leak

Oil leak, but not excessive from sump pan (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 16 May 2019 165,823 miles

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

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt steering arm (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension rod pin or bush excessively worn diff support rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Lower Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Offside Front tractor joint has a slight leak

Oil leak, but not excessive from sump pan (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 16 May 2018 160,928 miles

Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Fail 15 May 2018 160,928 miles

Brake servo locking device missing no servo assist (3.6.A.2d)

Nearside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 16 May 2017 152,797 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Fail 9 May 2017 152,710 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Offside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Power steering component(s) leaking Steering box (2.3.3b)

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

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

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

Rear Prop shaft loose on hand brake drum

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 10 May 2016 142,233 miles
Pass 14 May 2015 132,516 miles
Pass 14 May 2014 124,134 miles

Nearside Front Lower Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Pass 14 May 2013 117,923 miles
Pass 25 Apr 2012 111,706 miles
Pass 9 May 2011 105,101 miles
Pass 7 May 2010 97,724 miles
Pass 11 May 2009 90,380 miles
Pass 18 Apr 2008 84,731 miles
Pass 9 May 2007 80,632 miles
Pass 17 May 2006 78,721 miles
Pass 10 Nov 2005 77,870 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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J23 HAY is a 1998 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.8%.

Across all 1998 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.3% with a typical mileage of 110,057 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 J23 HAY, 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 28 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 J23 HAY?

You can check the full history of J23 HAY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J23 HAY registered?

J23 HAY is a 1998 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 6 November 1998.

Is J23 HAY safe to buy?

The MOT history for J23 HAY shows 27 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J23 HAY 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 J23 HAY. 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.