2002 Land Rover Defender 2.5L Diesel · CX52 KWB

The Land Rover Defender presents as roadworthy on the most recent test, passing cleanly on 31 March 2026 at 202,160 miles with no defects recorded. The maintenance trend is stable, with the last three annual examinations returning passes free of advisories. The two historical failures from early 2024 and 2025 were logged with no defects recorded, indicating administrative or presentation issues at the test centre rather than mechanical faults, and the vehicle was subsequently certified within days on each occasion. At roughly 24 years old the Defender shows 202,160 miles, equating to about 8,400 miles per year, which is typical use for a working 2002 vehicle. Mileage accumulation is steady rather than sporadic: it covered 4,713 miles between the March 2024 pass and April 2025 failure, then 3,520 miles to the March 2026 test. No long dormant periods or sudden high-use spikes appear in the record. The sparse history shows only pass and non-defect fail entries, so the data gives little insight into consumable replacement intervals or owner diligence beyond basic compliance. A buyer should still commission a physical inspection of structural integrity and chassis corrosion, as Defenders of this age commonly suffer from outrigger and bulkhead rust not always captured in a pass-with-no-defects MOT. The suspension bushes, coil springs, and brake discs warrant hands-on checks for fatigue and wear given the mileage. The clean advisory sheet offers no warning of binding calipers or exhaust emissions drift, but the absence of recorded faults across 193,927 to 202,160 miles means latent issues may simply be undocumented rather than absent.