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M501 VRC

1994 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Nov 2026
Tests24 (19 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate79.2%

Mileage

129,341 mi
Last recorded129,341 miles
Recorded on7 Oct 2025
Typical for 1994 Land Rover Defender120,267 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationM501 VRC
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1994
ColourGreen
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 7 Oct 2025 129,341 miles
Pass 6 Nov 2024 127,339 miles

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 14 Aug 2023 126,538 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2022 125,393 miles
Pass 6 Sep 2021 123,522 miles
Pass 8 Sep 2020 121,989 miles
Pass 8 Apr 2019 119,625 miles
Pass 13 Apr 2018 118,087 miles
Pass 13 Apr 2017 115,903 miles

Nearside Obligatory mirror damaged, but not seriously affecting the rear view wing mirror (8.1.2a)

steering box drop arm ball joint cover split

Pass 14 Apr 2016 114,956 miles
Pass 21 Mar 2015 111,732 miles

Non obligatory mirror damaged

O/S/F Axle seal leaking oil

Oil leak

Sign off fluid at no.1 and no.2 injector

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Fail 13 Mar 2015 111,683 miles

Indicator switch faulty (1.4.A.1)

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

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

O/S/F Axle seal leaking oil

Oil leak

Non obligatory mirror damaged

Sign off fluid at no.1 and no.2 injector

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Pass 21 Mar 2014 104,956 miles

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Non obligatory mirror damaged

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

Oil leak

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

sign off danpness around no. 2 injector

Fail 8 Mar 2014 104,826 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Non obligatory mirror damaged

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

Oil leak

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Pass 28 Mar 2013 95,066 miles

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

Non obligatory mirror damaged

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Oil leak

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

engine oil level low

exhaust / injector leak

steering damper bush worn

Fail 21 Mar 2013 95,056 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Headlamp aim not tested (1.8.A.1c)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Non obligatory mirror damaged

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Oil leak

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

engine oil level low

exhaust / injector leak

steering damper bush worn

Pass 23 Mar 2012 88,199 miles

Non obligatory mirror damaged

Oil leak

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Fail 14 Jan 2012 88,192 miles

Nearside Front Hazard warning lamps inoperative (1.4.B.1b)

Nearside Hazard warning lamps inoperative (1.4.B.1b)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear Hazard warning lamps inoperative (1.4.B.1b)

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

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate (1.1.C.1e)

Rear registration plate obscured (6.3.1d)

Steering system excessively tight (2.2.D.1)

Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Non obligatory mirror damaged

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Oil leak

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 8 Jan 2011 79,449 miles

Battery light on

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 29 Dec 2009 69,446 miles

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Pass 15 Jan 2009 64,950 miles

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Oil leak

bush worn on steering damper

Fail 10 Jan 2009 64,945 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Oil leak

bush worn on steering damper

Pass 12 Jan 2008 62,942 miles
Pass 9 Jan 2007 60,819 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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M501 VRC is a 1994 Land Rover Defender in Green 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 M501 VRC, 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 M501 VRC?

You can check the full history of M501 VRC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was M501 VRC registered?

M501 VRC is a 1994 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1994.

Is M501 VRC safe to buy?

The MOT history for M501 VRC 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 M501 VRC 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 M501 VRC. 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.