Used car guide

1998 Land Rover Defender petrol: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the petrol Land Rover Defender first registered in 1998 (petrol cars only): we looked at the 641 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

641MOTs of 1998 petrol cars, done in 2023–2025
76%pass first time (all 1998 cars: 65%)
3,000typical miles a year
3.4×the usual rate for seat belts

What goes wrong more than usual on a 1998 Land Rover Defender petrol?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 1998 Land Rover Defender petrol than on all cars registered in 1998.

  • Seat belts3.4× usual
    Land Rover Defender
    6.7% All 1998 cars
    2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.5%, against 0.6% of all 1998 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £80–£250 our estimate

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock and retract smoothly.

Better than most

Brake discs: 4.2% here, against 9.8% of all 1998 cars. Coil springs: 3.3% here, against 7% of all 1998 cars.

Common 1998 Land Rover Defender petrol MOT failures and advisories

The share of 1998 Land Rover Defender petrol MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    23% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

  • Suspension
    23% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    21% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Brakes
    16% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    10% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for an engine warning light.

  • Rust and bodywork
    8% of testsRough price £150–£1,000

    At the viewing: Check the sills, wheel arches and underneath for rust, and look along the panels for uneven gaps or paint.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 1998 Land Rover Defender petrol

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the seat belts? (Flagged at MOT 3.4× as often on the 1998 Land Rover Defender petrol as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Land Rover Defender?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Land Rover Defender compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2025–Too new for MOT data
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023529Tyres 6%
202210,198Tyres 16%
202116,997Tyres 16%
202012,258Tyres 17%
2019–Too few tests
20165,259Lights and electrics 15%
201519,425Brakes 20%
201417,079Lights and electrics 23%
201312,768Lights and electrics 25%
201211,292Brakes 28%
201111,607Suspension 30%
201011,558Suspension 33%
200910,166Suspension 33%
200810,865Suspension 35%
200711,617Suspension 37%
200611,038Suspension 37%
200512,200Suspension 38%
200412,447Suspension 38%
200312,858Suspension 40%
200211,282Suspension 39%
20019,161Suspension 37%
20008,745Suspension 39%
19998,812Suspension 38%
19979,899Lights and electrics 38%
199610,182Lights and electrics 39%
19958,462Lights and electrics 40%
19946,802Lights and electrics 40%
19935,523Lights and electrics 37%
19924,355Lights and electrics 37%
19914,994Lights and electrics 39%
19904,751Lights and electrics 37%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, counting the MOTs of Land Rover Defender cars first registered in 1998. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score