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L50 RDM

1998 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 Oct 2026
Tests27 (21 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

146,171 mi
Last recorded146,171 miles
Recorded on8 Oct 2025
Typical for 1998 Land Rover Defender110,057 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationL50 RDM
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1998
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

21 pass 6 fail
Pass 8 Oct 2025 146,171 miles

Both seat belt anchor points repair panels riveted & bonded in as original panals

Fuel filler pipe to tank outer casing cracking.

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

Fail 25 Sep 2025 146,161 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Panal around seat belt mechanism anchor point split & corroded (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Panal around seat belt mechanism split & corroded (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Fuel filler pipe to tank outer casing cracking.

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

Pass 19 Sep 2024 146,003 miles

Offside Aim just on upper limit.

Front Both hub seals damp.

Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play Both joints have slight up& down movement. (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Just on upper limit.

Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively Slightly (1.2.1 (f))

Windscreen wiper blade defective Both (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 24 Jul 2023 145,966 miles

Nearside Front Small hole inner arch panal

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

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective Slightly corroded (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Small hole rear floor panal.

Offside Front Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported Close to touching spring cup on lock. (1.1.11 (d) (i))

Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective Slightly corroded (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Rear Both back plates corroded.

Valve stem slightly damaged All 4 (5.2.3 (j))

Pass 10 Aug 2022 145,941 miles

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 20 Aug 2021 145,902 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Fail 17 Aug 2021 145,899 miles

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

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Pass 18 Aug 2020 145,882 miles
Pass 20 Aug 2019 145,689 miles
Fail 16 Aug 2019 145,860 miles

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel both rear (1.2.1 (a) (i))

front and rear brake discs corroded n/side front disc pad worn low

Pass 22 Aug 2018 140,174 miles
Pass 23 Aug 2017 136,104 miles
Pass 9 Jun 2016 132,916 miles
Pass 26 Jun 2015 131,263 miles
Pass 20 Jun 2014 127,967 miles
Pass 12 Jul 2013 126,188 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2012 124,450 miles
Fail 24 Jul 2012 124,432 miles

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

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

rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Pass 9 Aug 2011 122,933 miles

rear discs slightly pitted

Fail 9 Aug 2011 122,933 miles

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

rear discs slightly pitted

Pass 16 Sep 2010 119,261 miles

near-side rear brake disc pitted

Fail 15 Sep 2010 119,261 miles

Centre Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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

near-side rear brake disc pitted

Pass 27 Aug 2009 114,081 miles

Front Steering component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.2.C.1h)

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is distorted but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 25 Jun 2008 109,950 miles

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 30 May 2007 104,970 miles
Pass 30 May 2006 85,839 miles
Pass 1 Jun 2005 72,274 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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L50 RDM is a 1998 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 77.8%.

Across all 1998 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.3% with a typical mileage of 110,057 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 L50 RDM, 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 28 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 L50 RDM?

You can check the full history of L50 RDM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L50 RDM registered?

L50 RDM is a 1998 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is L50 RDM safe to buy?

The MOT history for L50 RDM shows 27 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L50 RDM 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 L50 RDM. 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.