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T981 TFE

1999 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires14 May 2026
Tests31 (20 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate64.5%

Mileage

97,521 mi
Last recorded97,521 miles
Recorded on15 Apr 2025
Typical for 1999 Land Rover Defender106,873 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationT981 TFE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1999
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

20 pass 11 fail
Pass 15 Apr 2025 97,521 miles

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Fail 15 Apr 2025 97,521 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

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

Pass 23 Apr 2024 227,487 miles

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 9 May 2023 223,894 miles

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 9 May 2023 223,894 miles

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii))

Pass 4 May 2022 219,397 miles
Fail 4 May 2022 219,397 miles

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

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii))

Pass 15 May 2021 213,605 miles

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

Pass 14 May 2020 210,035 miles
Pass 21 May 2019 204,657 miles
Fail 9 May 2019 204,656 miles

Nearside Front Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Nearside Rear Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Front Hydraulic brake calliper leaking (1.1.16 (b) (i))

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

Pass 20 Apr 2018 200,300 miles

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

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

Pass 11 Apr 2017 195,163 miles
Fail 11 Apr 2017 195,163 miles

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) leaking from a joint (2.3.3b)

Pass 5 Apr 2016 188,864 miles
Fail 31 Mar 2016 188,783 miles

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) locking device missing (3.5.1l)

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

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b)

Pass 22 Apr 2015 182,946 miles
Pass 4 Apr 2014 117,047 miles

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

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

Fail 3 Apr 2014 117,047 miles

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

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

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

Fail 6 Apr 2013 170,166 miles

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Pass 6 Apr 2013 170,166 miles
Pass 30 Mar 2012 162,180 miles
Fail 21 Apr 2011 158,172 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 21 Apr 2011 158,172 miles
Pass 15 Apr 2010 150,659 miles
Fail 10 Apr 2010 150,653 miles

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

Nearside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Inner Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

Offside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

Offside Power steering component(s) leaking from a failed seal (2.3.3b)

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

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

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Pass 18 Apr 2009 144,943 miles
Pass 26 Apr 2008 135,710 miles

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Offside inner track rod end joint cover split/missing

Pass 14 Apr 2007 126,548 miles
Pass 26 Apr 2006 121,633 miles
Fail 21 Apr 2006 121,633 miles

Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Inner Rear fog lamp excessively damaged so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

Nearside Rear Headlamp not in good working order (not working) (1.2.4a)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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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T981 TFE is a 1999 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.5%.

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 a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 T981 TFE, 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 T981 TFE?

You can check the full history of T981 TFE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was T981 TFE registered?

T981 TFE is a 1999 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 26 May 1999.

Is T981 TFE safe to buy?

The MOT history for T981 TFE shows 31 tests with a 64.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does T981 TFE 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 T981 TFE. 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.