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L129 ARW

1994 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Nov 2026
Tests24 (19 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate79.2%

Mileage

174,773 mi
Last recorded174,773 miles
Recorded on21 Oct 2025
Typical for 1994 Land Rover Defender120,267 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationL129 ARW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1994
ColourRed
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 21 Oct 2025 174,773 miles
Fail 21 Oct 2025 174,773 miles

Offside Front Body component corroded and likely to cause injury Side step (6.2.1 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Oct 2024 173,775 miles
Fail 17 Oct 2024 173,731 miles

Brake pedal has insufficient reserve travel (1.1.2 (a))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 31 Oct 2023 172,673 miles

Brake pedal pivot has slight wear or free play (1.1.1 (b))

Offside Front Power steering component has slight seepage from a component Steering box (2.1.5 (a))

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

Pass 17 Oct 2022 171,081 miles

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

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

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (c))

Pass 28 Oct 2021 168,951 miles

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 20 Oct 2021 168,887 miles

Brake servo damaged and function impaired (1.1.3 (e))

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Nearside Front Power steering component fouling Brake pipe (2.1.5 (e) (i))

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Central Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Direction indicator flashing more than 120 times a minute (4.4.4 (a))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 5 Oct 2020 166,040 miles
Pass 16 Apr 2019 161,327 miles

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

Track rod end ball joint has slight play steering box drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 16 Apr 2019 161,327 miles

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

Track rod end ball joint has slight play steering box drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii))

Pass 2 May 2018 158,393 miles
Pass 17 Jan 2017 152,290 miles
Pass 15 Dec 2015 149,093 miles
Pass 12 Jan 2015 144,922 miles
Pass 8 Jan 2014 139,782 miles
Pass 18 Dec 2012 135,739 miles
Pass 3 Jan 2012 131,813 miles
Pass 4 Jan 2011 128,233 miles
Fail 31 Dec 2010 128,233 miles

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

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

Pass 25 Nov 2009 124,010 miles
Pass 4 Nov 2008 118,937 miles
Pass 27 Nov 2007 114,912 miles
Pass 25 Oct 2006 110,495 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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L129 ARW is a 1994 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 79.2%.

Across all 1994 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.3% with a typical mileage of 120,267 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 L129 ARW, 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 32 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 L129 ARW?

You can check the full history of L129 ARW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L129 ARW registered?

L129 ARW is a 1994 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 8 July 1994.

Is L129 ARW safe to buy?

The MOT history for L129 ARW 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 L129 ARW 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 L129 ARW. 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.