1996 Land Rover Defender 2.5L Diesel · N971 ESM
1996 Land Rover Defender (2.5L, diesel). First registered 02 Feb 1996. Recorded mileage 143,556 miles. MOT valid until 24 Mar 2027.
- Make & Model
- LAND ROVER DEFENDER
- Year / Origin
- 1996 · Newcastle
- Safety Recall
- Unknown
- MOT Status
- Valid until 24 Mar 2027
- Road Tax
- —
- Recorded Mileage
- 143,556 mi
- ULEZ Compliance
- Non-Compliant (Pre-Euro 6 Diesel)
- Fuel & Engine
- Diesel · 2.5L
- Reliability Guide
- Common Faults
N971 ESM Key Findings
- 30 MOT tests recorded
- Latest MOT passed on 17/03/2026
- 143,556 miles recorded at latest MOT
- 8 historical MOT failures
- 7 defects noted at the latest MOT
- Recurring brakes items (38 mentions)
Derived directly from the recorded DVSA and DVLA data shown on this page.
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
Core Specifications
Identification & Status
Dimensions & Weights
Diagnostic & Valuation Intelligence
Estimate current market value
Generate an instant valuation benchmark based on live market listings, vehicle mileage, and recent dealer auction figures.
N971 ESM Mileage History
- 18/08/200646,917 mi
- 12/03/200747,810 mi+893 mi
- 13/03/200851,390 mi+3,580 mi
- 16/04/2009981,390 mi+930,000 mi
- 17/04/200956,058 mi-925,332 mi
- 15/04/201060,573 mi+4,515 mi
- 29/10/201062,039 mi+1,466 mi
- 25/10/201164,778 mi+2,739 mi
- 26/10/201164,778 mi
- 30/10/201267,922 mi+3,144 mi
- 30/10/201267,922 mi
- 16/10/201374,185 mi+6,263 mi
- 29/10/201480,644 mi+6,459 mi
- 16/03/201582,787 mi+2,143 mi
- 18/03/201582,788 mi+1 mi
- 13/02/201687,728 mi+4,940 mi
- 20/02/201687,848 mi+120 mi
- 25/03/201795,965 mi+8,117 mi
- 17/03/2018104,014 mi+8,049 mi
- 24/03/2018104,123 mi+109 mi
- 16/03/2019110,914 mi+6,791 mi
- 29/02/2020116,677 mi+5,763 mi
- 13/03/2020116,786 mi+109 mi
- 09/03/2021121,949 mi+5,163 mi
- 12/03/2022128,386 mi+6,437 mi
- 22/03/2022128,396 mi+10 mi
- 21/03/2023133,239 mi+4,843 mi
- 18/03/2024138,690 mi+5,451 mi
- 22/03/2025141,475 mi+2,785 mi
- 17/03/2026143,556 mi+2,081 mi
Average of roughly 4,936 miles per year across 30 recorded odometer readings.
Recorded mileage decreased between one or more tests — a potential clocking indicator worth verifying before purchase.
N971 ESM MOT History
Interpretation generated from the recorded test data above — not an official DVSA statement and not a substitute for an independent inspection.
30 MOT tests are recorded for this 1996 Land Rover Defender (N971 ESM) between August 2006 and March 2026.
The record contains 22 passes and 8 failures.
The most recent test on 17 March 2026 was a pass, although the earlier record includes 8 failures that buyers may want to investigate.
Across all tests, the most frequently flagged areas are: Brakes (38 issues), Suspension (26 issues), Lighting (22 issues), Windscreen (6 issues), Exhaust & Emissions (5 issues). Repeated mentions in one area can indicate an ongoing pattern worth checking in person.
In total 91 advisory notices are recorded. Advisories flag items that passed but may need attention before the next test; they are not evidence of how well the vehicle has been serviced.
Recorded failure items include: “Offside Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))”; “Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))”; “Nearside Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced top of chas”.
Similar Vehicles
Plate Neighbors
Batch Registration Neighbors (N971 Series)
Vehicles registered in the same regional DVLA batch as N971ESM.
FORD
VOLKSWAGEN
TRANSPORTER
NISSAN
MICRA
MAZDA
EUNOS
HARLEY DAVIDSON
ROAD KING
MERCEDES-BENZ
E
PORSCHE
911
JAGUAR
XJR
PEUGEOT
BOXER
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
PEUGEOT
306
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY
LAND ROVER DEFENDER Model Intelligence & Reliability
Verified MOT failure trends, buying advice, and technical directory specifications.
Owner-reported defects, recurring MOT failure points, and estimated repair costs.
Browse production generations, registration statistics, and trim variants.
Historical MOT pass rates and DVLA records for 1996 model year cars.
Regional DVLA Registration Directory
Vehicles and registration batches issued by regional DVLA offices across the UK.
Recently Checked UK Vehicles
Live vehicle history checks and MOT records recently queried by UK car buyers.