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V497 ESR

1999 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2500cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Apr 2027
Tests30 (19 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate63.3%

Mileage

170,378 mi
Last recorded170,378 miles
Recorded on9 Apr 2026
Typical for 1999 Land Rover Defender106,873 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationV497 ESR
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1999
ColourBlue
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

19 pass 11 fail
Pass 9 Apr 2026 170,378 miles

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Fail 7 Apr 2026 170,373 miles

Fuel system component leaking (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 23 Aug 2023 169,537 miles

Nearside Front hub swivel slight leak

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

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

Fail 23 Aug 2023 169,537 miles

Nearside Front hub swivel slight leak

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 1 Sep 2022 167,967 miles

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

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

Pass 17 Aug 2021 166,334 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 26 Aug 2020 164,932 miles
Pass 30 Aug 2019 162,861 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both before brake flexi pipes (1.1.11 (c))

Front steering drop arm ball joint perrished

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

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

Pass 7 Sep 2018 159,925 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material ns front and rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

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

Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement os and ns rear arm front bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

ns rear body/chassis mount corroded

Fail 6 Sep 2018 159,923 miles

Offside Front Brake hose excessively damaged (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Rear Brake hose bulging under pressure (1.1.12 (d))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Speedometer cannot be illuminated (7.8 (c) (ii))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material ns front and rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

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

Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement os and ns rear arm front bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

ns rear body/chassis mount corroded

Pass 23 Aug 2017 156,690 miles

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

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

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

Oil leak ()

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

coil spring corroded all (2.4.C.1b)

engine cover

Fail 22 Aug 2017 156,690 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

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

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

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

Oil leak ()

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

coil spring corroded all (2.4.C.1b)

engine cover

Pass 30 Aug 2016 152,087 miles

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

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

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

Oil leak ()

Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint A frame (2.4.G.2)

engine cover fitted

offside side step corroded/loose

Fail 30 Aug 2016 152,087 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Oil leak ()

Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint A frame (2.4.G.2)

engine cover fitted

offside side step corroded/loose

Pass 2 Sep 2015 145,383 miles

engine covers fitted

under trays fitted

Pass 27 Aug 2014 142,639 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 4 Sep 2013 132,212 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nail in offside rear tyre

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Oil leak

Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

exhaust corroded

Fail 2 Sep 2013 132,128 miles

Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (3.6.C.3)

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

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

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nail in offside rear tyre

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Oil leak

Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

exhaust corroded

Pass 6 Aug 2012 121,972 miles
Fail 6 Aug 2012 121,972 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring not correctly located (2.4.C.2)

Pass 1 Aug 2011 116,560 miles
Fail 29 Jul 2011 116,539 miles

Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 1 Sep 2010 110,065 miles
Fail 1 Sep 2010 110,065 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

engine oil leak

Fail 24 Mar 2009 96,861 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 24 Mar 2009 96,861 miles
Pass 10 Apr 2008 86,264 miles
Fail 9 Apr 2008 86,264 miles

Nearside front brake juddering severely (3.7.A.2b)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 29 May 2007 78,118 miles
Pass 30 May 2006 66,984 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

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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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V497 ESR is a 1999 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63.3%.

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 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 V497 ESR, 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 V497 ESR?

You can check the full history of V497 ESR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was V497 ESR registered?

V497 ESR is a 1999 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 10 September 1999.

Is V497 ESR safe to buy?

The MOT history for V497 ESR shows 30 tests with a 63.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does V497 ESR 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 V497 ESR. 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.