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R296 SEL

1997 Land Rover Discovery

White Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Oct 2026
Tests23 (12 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate52.2%

Mileage

208,582 mi
Last recorded208,582 miles
Recorded on17 Oct 2025
Typical for 1997 Land Rover Discovery124,978 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR296 SEL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDiscovery
Year1997
ColourWhite
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

12 pass 11 fail
Pass 17 Oct 2025 208,582 miles

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

Nearside Front Non obligatory mirror damaged ()

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

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

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

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

slight corrosion to sills

Fail 17 Sep 2025 208,543 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) contaminated tractor joint leaking (1.1.13 (b))

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases clamp missing (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

Pass 12 Sep 2024 200,767 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases clamp missing (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

Offside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Fail 12 Sep 2024 200,767 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases clamp missing (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

Offside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Rear fog lamp tell-tale not working (4.9.1 (a) (ii))

Fail 9 Aug 2024 200,764 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (8.2.2.2 (b))

Exhaust noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar vehicle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition no silencer. (8.1.1 (a))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension arm insecurely attached Retaining bolt loose (5.3.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Trailing arm rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Rear reflector missing (4.8.2 (a) (ii))

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour but not likely to obscure the vision of other road users (8.2.2.2 (c))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Direction indicator lens defective which has no effect on emitted light (4.4.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 10 Aug 2023 193,532 miles

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy Both (5.1.3 (b) (i))

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

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

Vehicle dirty

Pass 1 Jun 2022 193,470 miles

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

Fail 1 Jun 2022 193,470 miles

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 15 Jul 2020 192,101 miles

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

Fail 5 Jun 2020 192,101 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device missing (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively both (3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 14 Jun 2019 190,768 miles

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

Nearside 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))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 20 Jul 2018 189,702 miles
Fail 13 Jul 2018 189,653 miles

Nearside Front Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Pass 21 Jul 2017 188,855 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Fail 21 Jul 2017 188,855 miles

Nearside Rear Front position lamp(s) has less than 50% of the light sources illuminating (1.1.A.3b)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Fail 28 Jun 2017 188,843 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings drop arm to steering box shaft (2.2.B.1h)

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

Steering box has relative movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.2.B.1b)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 29 Jun 2016 183,116 miles

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Fail 24 Jun 2016 183,116 miles

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Steering box has relative movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.2.B.1b)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

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

Pass 24 Jun 2015 179,520 miles
Pass 7 Jul 2014 177,016 miles
Fail 7 Jul 2014 177,016 miles

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

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

Pass 5 Aug 2013 168,079 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Fail 1 Aug 2013 168,079 miles

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

Offside Front Ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

How Reliable is the Land Rover Discovery?

Based on 4,388,972 MOT tests across 325,470 vehicles.

72.7%
Pass Rate
6,904
Miles/Year
36
Year Lifespan
325,470
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 153,632
Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded 141,712
Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings 136,366
position lamp(s) not working 91,214
Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush 88,089
Full Land Rover Discovery 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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R296 SEL is a 1997 Land Rover Discovery in White with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 52.2%.

Across all 1997 Land Rover Discovery models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.7% with a typical mileage of 124,978 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 Discovery fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 153,632 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R296 SEL, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Land Rover Discovery typically stays on UK roads for around 36 years. At 29 years old, this Land Rover Discovery is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R296 SEL?

You can check the full history of R296 SEL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R296 SEL registered?

R296 SEL is a 1997 Land Rover Discovery, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is R296 SEL safe to buy?

The MOT history for R296 SEL shows 23 tests with a 52.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R296 SEL 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 R296 SEL. 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.