CarVerify

Free Car Check

J90 DFF

1996 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2494cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Mar 2027
Tests18 (12 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

103,033 mi
Last recorded103,033 miles
Recorded on13 Mar 2026
Typical for 1996 Land Rover Defender122,435 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ90 DFF
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1996
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,494cc

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

12 pass 6 fail
Pass 13 Mar 2026 103,033 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material All pipes (1.1.11 (c))

Chassis covered in underseal

Front Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively Rear Joint (6.1.7 (c) (i))

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

Fail 24 Feb 2026 103,030 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

Speedometer clearly inoperative (7.8 (b) (ii))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material All pipes (1.1.11 (c))

Chassis covered in Underseal

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

Front Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively Rear Joint (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 4 Feb 2025 100,596 miles
Fail 3 Feb 2025 100,596 miles

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

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

Pass 13 Feb 2024 97,602 miles

Nearside Rear Nail in tyre ()

Offside Front Lower Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

Rear Exhaust mounting defective exhaust rubber badly split (6.1.2 (a))

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Fail 2 Feb 2024 97,498 miles

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

Nearside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Upper Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt A frame upper ball joint cover (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear Prop shaft joint so worn it is likely to fail rear joint (6.1.7 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Nail in tyre ()

Offside Front Lower Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

Rear Exhaust mounting defective exhaust rubber badly split (6.1.2 (a))

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

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 14 Feb 2023 92,616 miles
Pass 17 Feb 2022 88,996 miles
Fail 17 Feb 2022 88,996 miles

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

Offside Front Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

FRONT SPOT LIGHTS DONT GO OUT WHEN PUT ON DIP BEAM

Pass 27 Jan 2021 87,934 miles
Fail 27 Jan 2021 87,934 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 14 Jan 2020 87,264 miles
Pass 23 Jan 2019 86,412 miles
Pass 17 Jan 2018 85,523 miles
Pass 11 Jan 2017 84,439 miles
Pass 11 Jan 2016 83,105 miles
Pass 3 Feb 2015 81,645 miles
Fail 3 Feb 2015 81,645 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

J90 DFF is a 1996 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,494cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1996 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.0% with a typical mileage of 122,435 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 J90 DFF, 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 30 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 J90 DFF?

You can check the full history of J90 DFF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J90 DFF registered?

J90 DFF is a 1996 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1996.

Is J90 DFF safe to buy?

The MOT history for J90 DFF shows 18 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J90 DFF 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 J90 DFF. 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.