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L26 ENG

1996 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Oct 2026
Tests25 (17 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate68%

Mileage

179,806 mi
Last recorded179,806 miles
Recorded on14 Oct 2025
Typical for 1996 Land Rover Defender122,435 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationL26 ENG
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1996
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

17 pass 8 fail
Pass 14 Oct 2025 179,806 miles
Pass 31 Aug 2022 173,246 miles
Fail 17 Mar 2022 173,173 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength chassis (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 19 Mar 2021 169,034 miles

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

Pass 24 Mar 2020 167,457 miles
Fail 17 Mar 2020 167,435 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe likely to become detached or damaged (1.1.11 (d) (ii))

Steering box has excessive movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 24 Jun 2019 164,076 miles

Front Hydraulic leak, but not excessive hubs (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front outer flange cover 2 bolts loose

Offside Front outer flange cover 2 bolts missing

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

Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 21 May 2019 164,067 miles

Hazard warning switch inoperative (4.4.2 (a) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

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

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Hydraulic leak, but not excessive hub (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 24 Nov 2016 162,548 miles
Fail 27 Oct 2016 162,547 miles

Nearside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings wheel arch hole in (6.1.B.2)

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

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

Nearside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings 3 holes in back (6.1.B.2)

Oil leak ()

Pass 31 Oct 2015 159,435 miles

Offside Front Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

Pass 27 Oct 2014 150,829 miles

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 30 Oct 2013 145,466 miles

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

Nearside Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

rear bump stops missing

Fail 30 Oct 2013 145,464 miles

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

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

Nearside Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

rear bump stops missing

Pass 31 Oct 2012 138,072 miles

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

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

Oil leak

both rear bump stops missing

Fail 30 Oct 2012 138,069 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

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

Oil leak

both rear bump stops missing

Pass 1 Nov 2011 132,289 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Fail 1 Nov 2011 132,289 miles

Centre Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

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

Stop lamp emits other than a steady red light (1.2.1e)

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Pass 31 Mar 2011 128,676 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2010 120,988 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2008 112,701 miles
Pass 17 Nov 2007 107,548 miles
Pass 22 Nov 2006 98,481 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2006 95,792 miles
Fail 11 Apr 2006 95,778 miles

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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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L26 ENG is a 1996 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68%.

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 L26 ENG, 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 L26 ENG?

You can check the full history of L26 ENG by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L26 ENG registered?

L26 ENG is a 1996 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 5 April 1996.

Is L26 ENG safe to buy?

The MOT history for L26 ENG shows 25 tests with a 68% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L26 ENG 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 L26 ENG. 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.