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J444 MSK

1997 Land Rover Defender

Silver Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires10 Aug 2027
Tests24 (20 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate83.3%

Mileage

153,991 mi
Last recorded153,991 miles
Recorded on30 Jul 2026
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ444 MSK
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourSilver
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

20 pass 4 fail
Pass 30 Jul 2026 153,991 miles
Pass 11 Aug 2025 153,751 miles
Pass 16 May 2024 151,990 miles
Pass 21 Apr 2023 150,810 miles

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

Central Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 26 Apr 2022 148,311 miles
Pass 8 Jan 2021 148,115 miles
Pass 28 Jan 2020 147,972 miles

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

Pass 13 Dec 2018 146,954 miles
Pass 13 Jan 2018 145,771 miles

Central Front Oil leak

Nearside Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Exhaust noisy (7.1.4)

Pass 3 Aug 2016 142,253 miles

Centre Front Oil leak

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)

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Fail 3 Aug 2016 142,253 miles

Centre Front Oil leak

Nearside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

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

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 24 Jul 2015 140,988 miles
Fail 21 Jul 2015 140,986 miles

Nearside Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 17 Jul 2014 136,175 miles

Nearside Front Radius arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Radius arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 29 Jun 2013 132,932 miles

Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Oil leak

Pass 7 Jul 2012 129,064 miles

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

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Rear fog lamp damaged, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Pass 19 May 2011 122,706 miles
Pass 13 May 2010 115,083 miles

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a seal (2.3.3b)

Fail 11 May 2010 115,083 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front Panhard rod has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Front Tyre(s) incorrect because different size tyres are fitted on the same axle. (4.1.A.1a)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a seal (2.3.3b)

Pass 6 May 2009 106,319 miles
Pass 8 May 2008 97,684 miles
Fail 8 May 2008 97,684 miles

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

Pass 26 Apr 2007 88,581 miles

Offside Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a seal (2.3.3b)

Pass 21 Apr 2006 79,501 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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J444 MSK is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Silver with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 83.3%.

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 J444 MSK, 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 J444 MSK?

You can check the full history of J444 MSK by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J444 MSK registered?

J444 MSK is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 5 September 1997.

Is J444 MSK safe to buy?

The MOT history for J444 MSK shows 24 tests with a 83.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J444 MSK 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 J444 MSK. 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.