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A278 SUL

1983 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 3528cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires9 Sep 2023
Tests22 (14 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate63.6%

Mileage

90,267 mi
Last recorded90,267 miles
Recorded on24 Aug 2022
Typical for 1983 Land Rover Defender109,986 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

RegistrationA278 SUL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1983
ColourWhite
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine3,528cc

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

14 pass 8 fail
Pass 24 Aug 2022 90,267 miles

Front bearing from front diff to front prop wearing

Fail 22 Aug 2022 90,267 miles

Fuel pipe insecure from tank (6.1.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Nearside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Front bearing from front diff to front prop wearing

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 20 Aug 2021 90,267 miles

Both rear chassis rusty and beginning to show signs of weakness

Front Hydraulic leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge ON LIMIT ,!! (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 10 Sep 2020 89,996 miles

Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 8 May 2019 89,851 miles
Pass 13 Aug 2018 89,855 miles
Fail 10 Aug 2018 89,845 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage damaged and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage damaged and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Power steering pipe/hose leaking at reservoir joint (2.1.5 (a))

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 14 Mar 2017 89,844 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both discs (3.5.1i)

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement d bush (2.4.G.2)

chassis is all undersealed

Pass 21 Nov 2014 89,842 miles
Pass 19 Oct 2013 89,797 miles

both rear anti roll d bushs worn and nsr drop link

oil leak

p/s pipes slight leak

steering damper bushs worn

Fail 19 Oct 2013 89,797 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Lower Stop lamp remains on when the brakes are released (1.2.1e)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Lower Stop lamp emits other than a steady red light (1.2.1e)

both rear anti roll d bushs worn and nsr drop link

oil leak

p/s pipes slight leak

steering damper bushs worn

Pass 26 Oct 2012 89,797 miles

Offside Front Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage (2.3.3b)

Steering damper bushes worn F/N/S

Fail 31 Oct 2011 89,797 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

Pass 31 Oct 2011 89,797 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2010 89,797 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 5 Aug 2010 89,797 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Nearside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Windscreen wiper not operating over a large enough area to give an adequate view (8.2.1c)

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 26 Aug 2009 89,797 miles
Pass 9 Jan 2007 89,797 miles
Fail 3 Jan 2007 89,797 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 14 Dec 2006 89,797 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

n/s/r tread splitting from tyre.

o/s/r tyre inner sidewall cuts.

Pass 16 Dec 2005 89,647 miles
Fail 14 Dec 2005 89,596 miles

Exhaust emits clearly visible black smoke during acceleration (7.3.A.2c)

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

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

nearside downpipe leaking

offside swivel damp

play in offside front wheel bearing

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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A278 SUL is a 1983 Land Rover Defender in White with a 3,528cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63.6%.

Across all 1983 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.8% with a typical mileage of 109,986 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 A278 SUL, 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 43 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 A278 SUL?

You can check the full history of A278 SUL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A278 SUL registered?

A278 SUL is a 1983 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 24 November 1983.

Is A278 SUL safe to buy?

The MOT history for A278 SUL shows 22 tests with a 63.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A278 SUL 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 A278 SUL. 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.