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J800 KEY

1997 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires22 May 2027
Tests29 (21 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate72.4%

Mileage

98,244 mi
Last recorded98,244 miles
Recorded on13 May 2026
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationJ800 KEY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
ColourGreen
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 8 fail
Pass 13 May 2026 98,244 miles

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

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

Pass 23 May 2025 97,920 miles

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

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

Pass 8 Dec 2023 96,966 miles
Pass 8 Dec 2022 96,295 miles
Pass 3 Dec 2021 96,087 miles
Pass 8 Dec 2020 95,822 miles

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Dec 2019 95,497 miles
Fail 10 Dec 2019 95,497 miles

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

Pass 10 Dec 2018 94,290 miles
Pass 12 Dec 2017 93,900 miles
Pass 13 Dec 2016 93,717 miles
Fail 13 Dec 2016 93,717 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 17 Dec 2015 93,441 miles

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

BACKBOX RUBBER

Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush BOTH SIDES (2.7.4)

Pass 6 Jan 2015 92,974 miles
Pass 10 Jan 2014 91,780 miles
Pass 8 Jan 2013 88,988 miles
Fail 4 Jan 2012 84,966 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 4 Jan 2012 84,966 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2011 80,844 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 5 Jan 2011 80,844 miles
Pass 4 Jan 2010 76,853 miles

Propshaft component defective

Pass 12 Jan 2009 73,705 miles
Fail 12 Jan 2009 73,705 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 15 Jan 2008 71,341 miles
Fail 9 Jan 2008 71,339 miles

Centre Front Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Nearside Front Drag link end ball pin shank loose (2.2.B.1c)

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

Nearside Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to obstruct correct operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Offside Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Fail 8 Jan 2007 68,493 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 8 Jan 2007 68,493 miles

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

Pass 9 Jan 2006 65,065 miles
Fail 9 Jan 2006 65,065 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high when the centre of the headlamp is above 850mm from the ground (1.6.B3)

Offside Headlamp aim too high when the centre of the headlamp is above 850mm from the ground (1.6.B3)

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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J800 KEY is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.4%.

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 J800 KEY, 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 J800 KEY?

You can check the full history of J800 KEY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J800 KEY registered?

J800 KEY is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 20 January 1997.

Is J800 KEY safe to buy?

The MOT history for J800 KEY shows 29 tests with a 72.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J800 KEY 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 J800 KEY. 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.