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397 JDE

1985 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires25 Apr 2026
Tests22 (15 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate68.2%

Mileage

39,926 mi
Last recorded39,926 miles
Recorded on16 Apr 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

Registration397 JDE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourRed
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,495cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

15 pass 7 fail
Pass 16 Apr 2025 39,926 miles

Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing both rear tyres slight perishing/cracking. (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 23 Apr 2024 37,508 miles
Pass 26 Apr 2023 36,028 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2022 35,829 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 10 Oct 2016 90,278 miles
Fail 6 Oct 2016 90,266 miles

Centre Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

Nearside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

Offside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings outrigger marked in yellow (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings marked in yellow (6.1.B.2)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 14 Sep 2015 87,872 miles
Pass 8 Aug 2014 84,401 miles
Fail 8 Aug 2014 84,395 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

drivers door

Pass 16 Aug 2013 200,147 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Pass 5 Jul 2012 190,128 miles
Fail 24 May 2012 193,066 miles

Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

axle balljoint

steering free play

Pass 24 May 2011 187,796 miles

brake pipes corrosion

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Power steering pump has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

offside an nearside body mounts corrosion

rear tyres cracking

Fail 24 May 2011 187,796 miles

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Headlamp aim too far to the right (1.8)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Power steering pump has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

brake pipes corrosion

offside an nearside body mounts corrosion

rear tyres cracking

Pass 4 Jun 2010 182,314 miles

Oil leak

center body mounts corroded

offside front tyre

rear tyres

underside corrosion

Fail 1 Jun 2010 182,314 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Oil leak

center body mounts corroded

offside front tyre

rear tyres

underside corrosion

Pass 5 Jun 2009 174,200 miles

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

all tyres starting to perish

Fail 3 Jun 2009 174,098 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

all tyres starting to perish

Pass 3 Jun 2008 164,867 miles
Pass 30 May 2007 155,404 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2006 146,420 miles
Fail 2 Jun 2006 146,420 miles

Nearside Front Panhard rod has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Panhard rod has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

How Reliable is the Land Rover Defender?

Based on 2,960,045 MOT tests across 181,953 vehicles.

72.3%
Pass Rate
3,550
Miles/Year
43
Year Lifespan
181,953
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush 77,499
Brake pipe excessively corroded 77,229
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 57,749
position lamp(s) not working 53,914
Stop lamp not working 52,341
Full Land Rover Defender reliability report

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397 JDE is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68.2%.

Across all 1985 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.3% with a typical mileage of 122,807 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Land Rover Defender fails its MOT is shock absorber has an excessively worn bush, accounting for 77,499 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 397 JDE, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Land Rover Defender typically stays on UK roads for around 43 years. At 41 years old, this Land Rover Defender is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 397 JDE?

You can check the full history of 397 JDE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 397 JDE registered?

397 JDE is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1985.

Is 397 JDE safe to buy?

The MOT history for 397 JDE shows 22 tests with a 68.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 397 JDE have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on 397 JDE. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.