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L26 MRW

1996 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Apr 2027
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

173,361 mi
Last recorded173,361 miles
Recorded on28 Apr 2026
Typical for 1996 Land Rover Defender122,435 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationL26 MRW
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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 28 Apr 2026 173,361 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Pass 25 Mar 2025 171,837 miles

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

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

Pass 23 Feb 2024 170,523 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2023 168,979 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 7 Jan 2022 166,872 miles

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

Pass 12 Jan 2021 164,133 miles

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 9 Jul 2019 161,769 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Fail 5 Jul 2019 161,762 miles

Front Fuel system component leaking (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Horn sound not in accordance with requirements harsh and grainy (7.7 (c))

Nearside Headlamp aim too high cannot adjust (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too high cannot adjust (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Jul 2018 154,215 miles

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

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

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

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 29 Jun 2017 147,022 miles

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

Oil leak ()

both front tyres perished

Fail 28 Jun 2017 147,008 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Oil leak ()

both front tyres perished

Pass 5 Jul 2016 141,141 miles

Oil leak ()

Fail 2 Jul 2016 141,125 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Oil leak ()

Pass 3 Jul 2015 134,579 miles

Oil leak

prop shaft uj worn

Pass 11 Jan 2014 120,766 miles

Both front seat belts slightly frayed

Fail 6 Jan 2014 120,632 miles

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b) DANGEROUS

Both front seat belts slightly frayed

Pass 14 Jan 2013 110,141 miles

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

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

both front seat belts webbing slightly damaged

spare wheel not fitted to rear door retaing bolts petruding

Fail 11 Jan 2013 110,141 miles

Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Steering column universal joint insecure (2.1.5)

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

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

both front seat belts webbing slightly damaged

spare wheel not fitted to rear door retaing bolts petruding

Pass 10 Jan 2012 103,695 miles

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

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

n/s/r brake disc worn

oil leak front diff pinion

slight play drop arm ball joint /dust cover split

Fail 10 Jan 2012 103,691 miles

Nearside Front Steering lock stop incorrectly adjusted (2.2.D.2c)

Rear fog lamp switch faulty (1.3.1a)

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

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

n/s/r brake disc worn

oil leak front diff pinion

slight play drop arm ball joint /dust cover split

Pass 6 Jan 2011 93,462 miles

Service brake juddering slightly (3.7.C.2)

Fail 4 Jan 2011 93,462 miles

Horn not loud enough to be heard by another road user (1.6.2b)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Offside Front Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Service brake juddering slightly (3.7.C.2)

Pass 21 Aug 2009 84,921 miles

Front Power steering pump has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

slight axle oil weap from osf swivel joint

Fail 17 Aug 2009 84,920 miles

Front Steering system has a tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (2.2.D.2a)

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Front Power steering pump has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

slight axle oil weap from osf swivel joint

Pass 17 Jan 2008 81,035 miles
Pass 13 Jan 2007 74,514 miles
Fail 14 Dec 2006 74,514 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Nearside Drag link end loose (2.2.B.1d) DANGEROUS

Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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.

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L26 MRW is a 1996 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 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 L26 MRW, 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 MRW?

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

What year was L26 MRW registered?

L26 MRW is a 1996 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 4 December 1996.

Is L26 MRW safe to buy?

The MOT history for L26 MRW shows 27 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 L26 MRW 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 MRW. 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.