Land Rover Defender
Sell your Land Rover Defender
The Defender is the outlier. Where most of the range depreciates in the way premium SUVs generally do, the Defender has held its value unusually well since launch — supply has been managed tightly and demand has stayed ahead of it. If you own one, you are in a stronger position than most sellers we speak to, and you should expect an offer that reflects that.
Body style and specification drive the number here more than mileage does. A 90 and a 110 are different cars commercially, and the option packs were expensive enough when new that they still register in the used market.
What we know about this car
The timing chain worry belongs to a different engine
If someone has told you the D300 has a timing chain problem, they have confused two engines, and it is worth knowing which is which before you accept an offer built on the wrong assumption.
The timing chain issue that has been widely written about belongs to the 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium diesel. The D300 is the 3.0-litre straight-six, and it is a different engine with a different reputation — smoother, better at managing heat, revised chain arrangement, and largely free of the oil dilution problem that drives chain wear on the smaller unit. It is generally regarded as one of the sounder engines in the family.
We mention it because sellers get talked down on this fairly often. A buyer references a well-known problem, the owner has no reason to doubt it, and the offer quietly drops. On a D300 Defender, that argument does not hold.
Sources for the figures above: RCV on the Ingenium range and how the six-cylinder differs · LR Direct on which engine the chain fault affects
Why our number can be stronger
Where the number gets stronger
We buy any Defender. A younger one is among the most straightforward cars we place with exporters, and strong home-market values alongside strong export demand is a rare combination — it is the reason our Defender offers tend to surprise people.
On the call
What we ask about
None of this is a test. It is what lets us give you a number that does not need revisiting.
- Body style — 90, 110 or 130 — and the exact trim
- Option packs, which were expensive new and still carry weight
- Whether the car is a Hard Top commercial version
- Any modifications, and whether the original parts came with the car
- Genuine off-road use, if there has been any
Questions
Land Rover Defender questions
That issue belongs to the 2.0-litre four-cylinder, not the D300 straight-six. They are different engines with different reputations. If an offer has been reduced on that basis, it was reduced on a misunderstanding.
Yes. Commercial versions sit in a different tax position from passenger cars, so tell us which you have and whether you are VAT registered, and we will make sure the offer is structured correctly.
Not necessarily, but it changes who the car suits. Tell us what has been done and whether you still have the original parts — standard cars generally travel better, and having the takeoffs can matter.
That is your call and we will not push you. What we would say honestly is that a Defender still depreciates, and it is still costing you tax and insurance while it sits. Our offer stands for seven days, so there is no rush built into it.
Worth reading first
Guides on the Land Rover Defender
ValuationsHow much is my Range Rover worth in 2026?There is no honest single answer, but there is an honest method. Here is what actually moves the number on a Range Rover, in the order it moves it.7 min read
Selling guidesPrivate sale, part-exchange or a buying service: an honest comparisonThree routes, each with a real cost. Written by one of the three, which is a reason to read it sceptically and a reason we have been careful.6 min read
Model guidesRange Rover Sport buyer's guide: what affects resale valueWritten from the selling side. The boundaries that move the number on an L494 or L461, including the one that has nothing to do with the year on the registration.5 min read
Also on the list
We also buy
One registration is all we need to start.
One registration, 2 hours, one firm number. No obligation to accept it.