1998 LAND ROVER DEFENDER2.5L DIESEL
Considering this 1998 LAND ROVER DEFENDER? It's a DIESEL with a 2495cc engine showing 214,038 miles. MOT is valid and it's taxed for the road. View the full DVLA history below.
- Fuel Type
- DIESEL
- Year
- 1998
- Engine
- 2495cc
MOT Roadworthiness: Good
This rating reflects historical MOT pass rates and recurring advisory wear patterns from official DVSA test logs. Note that roadworthiness does not verify outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen records.
Verify lender finance agreements, insurance write-offs, police stolen registers, and mileage rollback.
Technical Specifications
Diagnostic & Valuation Intelligence
Estimate current market value
Generate an instant valuation benchmark based on live market listings, vehicle mileage, and recent dealer auction figures.
Full MOT History
This 1998 Land Rover Defender (S253 CHC) has a recorded MOT history spanning from October 2023 to September 2025, with 5 MOT tests on record.
Historically, this vehicle has passed 60% of its MOT tests, totaling 3 passes against 2 fails. A decent overall history, though the failure record warrants a closer look for any patterns.
The most commonly flagged areas across all MOT tests are: Exhaust & Emissions (2 issues), Steering (1 issue). These areas are worth paying attention to when inspecting this vehicle.
There are 7 advisory notices in the MOT history. Advisories are not failures but indicate areas that may need attention in the future.
A total of 3 failure items have been recorded across all tests. Recent failure items include: “Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))”; “Exhaust emissions test not completed because smoke levels are significantly in excess of the specified limit values (8.2”; “Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour likely to obscure the vision of other road users (8.2.2.2 (c))”.
Buyer's Guide & Inspection Advisory
Expert automotive synthesis from historical MOT defect records and market benchmarks.
Our Verdict
Avoid this 1998 Land Rover Defender due to repeated mechanical issues, high mileage, and significant emissions failures that suggest poor maintenance.
This vehicle requires extreme caution. Insist on a pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic specialising in classic vehicles. Focus on checking for internal engine damage from repeated oil leaks and assess the extent of exhaust system repairs. Be prepared to negotiate heavily due to the high risk of hidden faults. Verify if the vehicle has a full service history to confirm maintenance standards. Avoid purchasing unless you have extensive mechanical expertise and budget for major repairs.
Reviewed by the IsItAGoodCar editorial team — Verified automotive analysis synthesized from official vehicle registries.
Data Sources
DVSA
Official MOT test logs & failure reasons
DVLA
Tax, registration & powertrain specs
Experian
Finance, stolen markers & total loss
AI Analysis
Historical fault & advisory patterns
Similar Vehicles
Plate Neighbors
Batch Registration Neighbors (S253 Series)
Vehicles registered in the same regional DVLA batch as S253CHC.
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
BMW
523
NISSAN
ELGRAND
VAUXHALL
ASTRA
PEUGEOT
106
YAMAHA
VMX1200
ROVER
MINI
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
MERCEDES-BENZ
SLK
VAUXHALL
CORSA
NISSAN
MICRA