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V556 ESL

1999 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2500cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Jul 2027
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

62,570 mi
Last recorded62,570 miles
Recorded on16 Jun 2026
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

RegistrationV556 ESL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1999
ColourGreen
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 8 fail
Pass 16 Jun 2026 62,570 miles

Front Lower Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Bulkhead (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Front Steering dampener bush worn

Pass 1 Jul 2025 61,976 miles
Fail 26 Jun 2025 61,974 miles

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

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 3 Jul 2024 60,768 miles
Pass 14 Jul 2023 60,158 miles
Pass 11 Jul 2022 60,123 miles
Pass 7 Jul 2021 59,652 miles
Pass 14 Jul 2020 59,049 miles
Fail 8 Jul 2020 59,047 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Front Both front steering swivels weeping .

Offside Front Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 8 Jul 2019 58,477 miles
Pass 11 Jul 2018 56,239 miles
Pass 30 Jun 2017 54,923 miles

Nearside Rear steering swivel housing leaking slightly

Offside Suspension weakened but no possibility of the body or a component fouling a road wheel sagging slightly (2.4.A.1b)

Pass 5 Jul 2016 52,894 miles
Pass 10 Jul 2015 51,591 miles

slight oil leak from front swivel joints

Fail 7 Jul 2015 515,539 miles

Nearside Front Steering system has a tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (2.2.D.2a)

Offside Front Steering system has a road wheel fouling a part of the vehicle (2.2.D.2a)

slight oil leak from front swivel joints

Pass 8 Jul 2014 49,534 miles

Oil leak

Pass 12 Jul 2013 48,278 miles

Oil leak

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Tow ball/hitch not fitted at time of test

Fail 1 Jul 2013 48,276 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Oil leak

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Tow ball/hitch not fitted at time of test

Fail 28 Sep 2012 48,262 miles

Offside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.6.6)

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)

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

Pass 27 Sep 2011 47,204 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2010 45,755 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

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

Fail 22 Sep 2010 45,750 miles

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

Nearside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

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

Pass 29 Sep 2009 44,171 miles

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 24 Sep 2009 44,167 miles

Front Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition on (1.4.B.1f)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 19 Sep 2008 42,032 miles
Pass 22 Nov 2006 38,923 miles
Fail 20 Nov 2006 38,923 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

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

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Nearside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Front Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Offside Front Tyre(s) incorrect because different size tyres are fitted on the same axle. (4.1.A.1a)

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Offside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear fog lamp emits a light other than red (1.3.2e)

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

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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V556 ESL is a 1999 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.4%.

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 V556 ESL, 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 V556 ESL?

You can check the full history of V556 ESL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was V556 ESL registered?

V556 ESL is a 1999 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 28 September 1999.

Is V556 ESL safe to buy?

The MOT history for V556 ESL shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does V556 ESL 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 V556 ESL. 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.