2001 Land Rover Defender 2.5L Diesel · CV51 AZC

The 2001 Land Rover Defender presents a stable roadworthiness trend. The most recent test on 1 May 2025 at 152,046 miles returned a pass with no defects recorded, following passes on 2 May 2024 and 4 March 2022. The clean result confirms the vehicle entered the current ownership period in sound mechanical condition with no active advisories or failures. Recorded mileage sits at 152,046 against a 25-year lifespan, equating to roughly 6,082 miles per year and reflecting typical use for a Defender of this era. The gap between the 4 March 2022 pass and the 7 February 2023 test shows about 146,618 miles logged, a modest annual accumulation of under 5,000 miles. The DVSA entry for 7 February 2023 lists both a fail and a pass at identical mileage with no defects recorded, indicating an administrative re-test rather than a genuine mechanical fault. The sparse, clean history gives no evidence of neglected consumables or deferred structural repairs. A buyer should still commission a physical inspection of chassis outriggers, bulkhead, and spring hangers for corrosion, as Defenders of this age commonly suffer hidden structural rust not captured in a pass-with-no-defects MOT. The tester raised no advisories on suspension bushes, brake discs, or exhaust emissions, but age-related fatigue in swivel ball joints and trailing arm mounts remains plausible after 152,000 miles. Verify the 7 February 2023 anomaly with DVSA paperwork to confirm no concealed rectification work occurred between the failed and passed entries. Given the unbroken clean record since, the vehicle shows no recurring fault pattern and implies conscientious previous ownership with basic upkeep maintained.