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R172 VKL

1998 Rover 218

Silver Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Apr 2027
Tests21 (12 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate57.1%

Mileage

132,091 mi
Last recorded132,091 miles
Recorded on2 Apr 2026
Typical for 1998 Rover 21883,580 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR172 VKL
MakeRover
Model218
Year1998
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

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

12 pass 9 fail
Pass 2 Apr 2026 132,091 miles
Pass 12 Jun 2024 132,001 miles
Pass 22 Dec 2015 127,426 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Fail 3 Dec 2015 127,103 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

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

Pass 13 Dec 2014 124,077 miles
Fail 3 Dec 2014 123,936 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

Pass 16 Nov 2013 119,444 miles

ex/cat rattles

Fail 15 Nov 2013 119,420 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

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

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

ex/cat rattles

Pass 7 Dec 2012 116,398 miles
Fail 6 Dec 2012 116,367 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

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

Pass 14 Nov 2011 110,266 miles
Pass 9 Dec 2010 103,494 miles
Fail 1 Dec 2010 103,342 miles

Nearside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Pass 27 Nov 2009 96,441 miles
Fail 25 Nov 2009 96,440 miles

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Pass 2 Dec 2008 90,355 miles
Fail 26 Nov 2008 90,355 miles

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Pass 15 Nov 2007
Fail 9 Nov 2007 82,241 miles

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

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

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Pass 21 Nov 2006 67,712 miles
Fail 15 Nov 2006 67,580 miles

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

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

How Reliable is the Rover 218?

Based on 106,618 MOT tests across 21,767 vehicles.

64.5%
Pass Rate
5,299
Miles/Year
34
Year Lifespan
21,767
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 9,334
constant velocity joint gaiter split 8,429
Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 6,994
Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded 5,620
Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases 4,026
Full Rover 218 reliability report

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R172 VKL is a 1998 Rover 218 in Silver with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 57.1%.

Across all 1998 Rover 218 models, the average MOT pass rate is 65.7% with a typical mileage of 83,580 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 Rover 218 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 9,334 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R172 VKL, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Rover 218 typically stays on UK roads for around 34 years. At 28 years old, this Rover 218 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R172 VKL?

You can check the full history of R172 VKL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R172 VKL registered?

R172 VKL is a 1998 Rover 218, first registered on 4 March 1998.

Is R172 VKL safe to buy?

The MOT history for R172 VKL shows 21 tests with a 57.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R172 VKL 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 R172 VKL. 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.