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V388 ESX

1999 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 2500cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires9 Feb 2027
Tests22 (15 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate68.2%

Mileage

53,737 mi
Last recorded53,737 miles
Recorded on2 Feb 2026
Typical for 1999 Land Rover Defender106,873 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

RegistrationV388 ESX
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1999
ColourWhite
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

15 pass 7 fail
Pass 2 Feb 2026 53,737 miles
Pass 10 Feb 2025 51,502 miles
Pass 16 Jan 2024 48,770 miles
Pass 10 Feb 2023 46,537 miles

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt steering damper ball joint rubber (2.1.3 (g) (i))

clutch pedal rubber holed and insecure on pedal

Pass 11 Mar 2022 41,481 miles
Pass 16 Feb 2021 40,041 miles

Central Lower Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Rear Prop shaft flexible coupling slightly deteriorated slight wear in rear u/j (6.1.7 (d) (i))

clutch pedal rubber split

Pass 17 Feb 2020 39,291 miles

Central Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view small chip in centre of windscreen(not affecting drivers view of road) (3.2 (a) (i))

Drag link end ball joint has slight play slight play in both track rod ends (2.1.3 (b) (i))

clutch pedal rubber split

Fail 4 Feb 2020 39,279 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play excessive play in nearside front drag link ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play excessive play in offside front drag link ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt damaged significant damage to drivers seat belt webbing (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Central Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view small chip in centre of windscreen(not affecting drivers view of road) (3.2 (a) (i))

Drag link end ball joint has slight play slight play in both track rod ends (2.1.3 (b) (i))

clutch pedal rubber split

Pass 6 Feb 2019 37,657 miles
Pass 24 Jan 2018 36,301 miles

Interior rear view mirror missing

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Fail 4 Oct 2012 36,295 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

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

Nearside Front Panhard rod has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Panhard rod has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Rear Body has a projection caused by corrosion (6.1.C.1)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

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

Pass 13 Oct 2011 34,556 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 13 Oct 2011 34,556 miles

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

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

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

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

Pass 5 Oct 2010 32,496 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Fail 4 Oct 2010 32,493 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Fail 17 Sep 2010 32,484 miles

Nearside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Front Steering damper cracked and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Nearside Front Suspension arm attachment bracket/mounting insecure (2.4.G.1)

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

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

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

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 21 Jul 2009 27,945 miles
Fail 16 Jul 2009 27,901 miles

Nearside Front Upper Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 16 Jul 2008 24,346 miles
Pass 27 Jul 2007 21,809 miles

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

Offside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 20 Jun 2006 19,538 miles
Fail 20 Jun 2006 19,538 miles

Offside Front Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

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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V388 ESX is a 1999 Land Rover Defender in White with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68.2%.

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 V388 ESX, 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 V388 ESX?

You can check the full history of V388 ESX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was V388 ESX registered?

V388 ESX is a 1999 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 14 October 1999.

Is V388 ESX safe to buy?

The MOT history for V388 ESX shows 22 tests with a 68.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does V388 ESX 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 V388 ESX. 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.