CarVerify

Free Car Check

S38 FNW

1999 Land Rover Defender

Silver Diesel 2500cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires22 Jul 2027
Tests30 (22 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate73.3%

Mileage

186,682 mi
Last recorded186,682 miles
Recorded on23 Jul 2026
Typical for 1999 Land Rover Defender106,873 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £14.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationS38 FNW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1999
ColourSilver
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,500cc

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

22 pass 8 fail
Pass 23 Jul 2026 186,682 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2025 185,694 miles
Pass 4 Apr 2024 184,852 miles
Fail 3 Apr 2024 184,849 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen (3.5 (a))

Fluid leak, but not excessive Front swivel joints (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 20 Mar 2023 184,256 miles
Pass 17 Feb 2022 183,590 miles
Pass 17 Mar 2021 182,802 miles
Pass 12 Feb 2020 182,379 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 12 Feb 2019 180,917 miles

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

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

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

Fail 11 Feb 2019 180,917 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear brake pipe (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Fuel system component leaking excessively or a risk of fire (6.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 5 Feb 2018 180,041 miles
Fail 5 Feb 2018 180,041 miles

Fuel system component leaking fuel filter (7.2.3)

Pass 17 Feb 2017 179,056 miles
Pass 2 Feb 2016 177,732 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded FRONT TO REAR (3.6.B.2c)

OIL LEAK

Fail 27 Jan 2015 175,041 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

offside front side light slightly dim

Pass 27 Jan 2015 175,041 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

offside front side light slightly dim

Pass 8 Feb 2014 171,494 miles
Fail 8 Feb 2014 171,494 miles

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 28 Sep 2013 167,102 miles
Pass 26 Sep 2012 165,840 miles
Pass 27 Sep 2011 16,393 miles
Pass 29 Jul 2010 157,265 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 22 Jul 2010 157,175 miles

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

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 16 Jul 2009 65,808 miles

Brake pipe slightly 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)

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

advise nearside rear tyre some cracking in tread and wall

Fail 14 Jul 2009 65,795 miles

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

Front Drive shaft uj which forms part of the suspension has an inadequately locked flange bolt (2.4.G.4c)

Nearside Front Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear Drive shaft uj which forms part of the suspension has an inadequately locked flange bolt (2.4.G.4c)

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

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

advise fuel filter corroded

Pass 6 Jun 2008 143,648 miles
Fail 4 Jun 2008 143,638 miles

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

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Front Brake pipe seriously damaged (found during steering lock to lock check) (2.2.D.2b)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly damaged (2.2.D.2b)

advise both front swivel housing slight oil leaks

Pass 12 Jun 2007 140,078 miles
Pass 15 May 2007 140,061 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2006 135,313 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

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

S38 FNW is a 1999 Land Rover Defender in Silver with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.3%.

Across all 1999 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.6% with a typical mileage of 106,873 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 S38 FNW, 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 27 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 S38 FNW?

You can check the full history of S38 FNW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S38 FNW registered?

S38 FNW is a 1999 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 5 February 1999.

Is S38 FNW safe to buy?

The MOT history for S38 FNW shows 30 tests with a 73.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S38 FNW 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 S38 FNW. 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.