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J88 OSP

1997 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 Oct 2026
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

203,357 mi
Last recorded203,357 miles
Recorded on29 Oct 2025
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ88 OSP
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

19 pass 8 fail
Pass 29 Oct 2025 203,357 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported (1.1.11 (d) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened x2 (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear prop shaft bolt wrong type

Steering component deformed but serviceable steering damper bush worn (2.1.3 (c) (i))

Trailer electrical socket wiring insulation damaged or deteriorated socket corroded and damaged (4.10 (b) (i))

head lamp and side lights wired to same switch position

Fail 24 Oct 2025 203,357 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported (1.1.11 (d) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened x2 (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear prop shaft bolt wrong type

Steering component deformed but serviceable steering damper bush worn (2.1.3 (c) (i))

Trailer electrical socket wiring insulation damaged or deteriorated socket corroded and damaged (4.10 (b) (i))

head lamp and side lights wired to same switch position

Pass 11 Oct 2024 202,825 miles

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

Pass 18 Oct 2023 199,459 miles

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

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Fail 10 Oct 2023 199,436 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers insecurely attached (5.3.2 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Drag link 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 Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt both rear seats ()

Pass 18 Oct 2022 195,488 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule all (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

Fail 6 Oct 2022 195,453 miles

Offside Rear Seat belt not functioning as intended (7.1.2 (c))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength shocker mounting area (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule all (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

Pass 8 Oct 2021 188,680 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Pass 18 Sep 2020 185,349 miles
Pass 17 Sep 2019 182,239 miles
Pass 10 Sep 2018 177,098 miles
Pass 11 Sep 2017 171,216 miles
Fail 8 Sep 2017 171,216 miles

Service brake juddering severely (3.7.C.2)

Nearside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 2 Sep 2016 165,541 miles

Front diff prop shaft seal leaking oil.

Oil leak from gearbox area.

Oil leak from sump area.

Oil leak from transfer box.

Rear diff prop shaft seal leaking oil.

Pass 1 Sep 2015 157,682 miles
Pass 12 Sep 2014 152,492 miles

Oil leak from sump area.

Fail 31 Aug 2012 152,483 miles

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

front and read diff seal leaking

rear discs corroded

Pass 8 Aug 2011 148,879 miles

O/S/F Swivel Ball Leaking grease

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

Oil leak Engine

Rear Diff Seal Leaking From Prop

Rear Exhaust Mount Rubber - Corroded

Fail 2 Aug 2011 148,879 miles

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

O/S/F Swivel Ball Leaking grease

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

Oil leak Engine

Rear Diff Seal Leaking From Prop

Rear Exhaust Mount Rubber - Corroded

Pass 3 Aug 2010 144,145 miles

Offside rear tyre cracked/perished.

Underside undersealed including brake pipe etc,difficult to fully assess.

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 23 Feb 2010 142,828 miles
Pass 21 Jan 2009 138,394 miles
Pass 7 Feb 2008 131,830 miles
Fail 1 Feb 2008 131,787 miles

Nearside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 19 Jan 2007 125,964 miles

steering box oily

Pass 27 Jan 2006 122,467 miles
Fail 25 Jan 2006 122,356 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear brake disc excessively scored (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

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

Rear Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Rear Exhaust mounting missing (7.1.1b)

Nearside Rear Brake performance not tested (3.7.A.1) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

oil leak

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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J88 OSP is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.4%.

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 J88 OSP, 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 J88 OSP?

You can check the full history of J88 OSP by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J88 OSP registered?

J88 OSP is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 24 January 1997.

Is J88 OSP safe to buy?

The MOT history for J88 OSP shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J88 OSP 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 J88 OSP. 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.