1997 Land Rover Defender 2.5L Diesel · R996 AEC
1997 Land Rover Defender (2.5L, diesel). First registered 11 Aug 1997. Recorded mileage 122,756 miles. MOT valid until 05 Nov 2026.
- Make & Model
- LAND ROVER DEFENDER
- Year / Origin
- 1997 · Reading
- Safety Recall
- Unknown
- MOT Status
- Valid until 05 Nov 2026
- Road Tax
- —
- Recorded Mileage
- 122,756 mi
- ULEZ Compliance
- Non-Compliant (Pre-Euro 6 Diesel)
- Fuel & Engine
- Diesel · 2.5L
- Reliability Guide
- Common Faults
R996 AEC Key Findings
- 25 MOT tests recorded
- Latest MOT passed on 27/10/2025
- 122,756 miles recorded at latest MOT
- 5 historical MOT failures
- 8 defects noted at the latest MOT
- Recurring suspension items (36 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.
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R996 AEC Mileage History
- 09/05/200660,098 mi
- 13/06/200766,913 mi+6,815 mi
- 08/08/200874,354 mi+7,441 mi
- 08/08/200874,354 mi
- 23/03/201083,356 mi+9,002 mi
- 27/10/201086,265 mi+2,909 mi
- 14/10/201191,224 mi+4,959 mi
- 30/10/201293,664 mi+2,440 mi
- 14/10/201395,678 mi+2,014 mi
- 14/10/201395,678 mi
- 13/10/201497,360 mi+1,682 mi
- 14/10/201497,360 mi
- 06/11/2015100,562 mi+3,202 mi
- 10/10/2016102,882 mi+2,320 mi
- 12/10/2016102,882 mi
- 01/11/2017106,021 mi+3,139 mi
- 23/10/2018109,084 mi+3,063 mi
- 29/10/2019112,810 mi+3,726 mi
- 23/10/2020114,284 mi+1,474 mi
- 25/10/2021116,098 mi+1,814 mi
- 25/10/2021116,098 mi
- 26/10/2022117,302 mi+1,204 mi
- 03/11/2023118,679 mi+1,377 mi
- 22/10/2024120,373 mi+1,694 mi
- 27/10/2025122,756 mi+2,383 mi
Average of roughly 3,218 miles per year across 25 recorded odometer readings.
R996 AEC MOT History
Interpretation generated from the recorded test data above — not an official DVSA statement and not a substitute for an independent inspection.
25 MOT tests are recorded for this 1997 Land Rover Defender (R996 AEC) between May 2006 and October 2025.
The record contains 20 passes and 5 failures.
The most recent test on 27 October 2025 was a pass, although the earlier record includes 5 failures that buyers may want to investigate.
Across all tests, the most frequently flagged areas are: Suspension (36 issues), Lighting (34 issues), Brakes (16 issues), Bodywork (13 issues), Tyres (11 issues). Repeated mentions in one area can indicate an ongoing pattern worth checking in person.
In total 95 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 Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded crossmember (2.4.A.3)”; “Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings”; “Nearside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mounting”.
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