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JHS 496

1997 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires26 May 2026
Tests24 (19 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate79.2%

Mileage

198,217 mi
Last recorded198,217 miles
Recorded on27 May 2025
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Defender117,879 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationJHS 496
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1997
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

19 pass 5 fail
Pass 27 May 2025 198,217 miles

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

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

Central Rear body x member corroded

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

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

Pass 23 May 2024 174,900 miles

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

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

central body x member corroded

Pass 26 May 2023 172,275 miles

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

Pass 19 May 2022 167,216 miles
Pass 7 May 2021 162,535 miles

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

Nearside Front Inner Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported (1.1.11 (d) (i))

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

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

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 25 Mar 2020 154,918 miles

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

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 1 Apr 2019 153,110 miles

Centre seat belts not fitted from new.

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component power steering pipe as slight leak. (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 27 Mar 2019 153,110 miles

Front All outline marker lamps not working Both front not working (4.2.1 (a))

Nearside Windscreen wiper not working (3.4 (a))

Offside Front Brake disc contaminated Hub oil seal leaking on to disc. (1.1.14 (b))

Offside Rear Seat belt missing clasp missing (7.1.2 (a))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Battery not secure

Centre seat belts not fitted from new.

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component power steering pipe as slight leak. (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 10 Apr 2018 152,016 miles

Oil leak Oil leak from right side of engine on to front axle ()

Pass 6 Oct 2016 149,877 miles

Oil leak ()

Fail 5 Oct 2016 149,871 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 30 Sep 2015 147,910 miles

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Fail 22 Sep 2015 147,906 miles

Front Direction indicator incorrect colour lenses x2 (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Front Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Pass 2 May 2014 140,521 miles

Offside Front Driver's door catch deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.B.2)

Offside Inner Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Oil leak

Passenger seat(s) missing at time of test

Pass 13 May 2013 83,672 miles

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

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Fail 18 Apr 2013 134,341 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Rear Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear Driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. (6.2.A.3)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

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

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Rear Anti-roll bar rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 13 Apr 2012 127,318 miles

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Pass 16 Mar 2011 119,974 miles
Pass 3 May 2010 115,018 miles

Offside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Oil leak

Pass 3 Apr 2009 106,944 miles
Pass 14 Apr 2008 104,239 miles
Pass 4 Apr 2007 100,341 miles
Pass 27 Mar 2006 95,425 miles
Fail 21 Mar 2006 95,425 miles

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

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

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

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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JHS 496 is a 1997 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 79.2%.

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 JHS 496, 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 JHS 496?

You can check the full history of JHS 496 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was JHS 496 registered?

JHS 496 is a 1997 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 25 February 1997.

Is JHS 496 safe to buy?

The MOT history for JHS 496 shows 24 tests with a 79.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does JHS 496 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 JHS 496. 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.