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A5 RXW

1986 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires11 Jan 2027
Tests27 (17 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate63%

Mileage

127,253 mi
Last recorded127,253 miles
Recorded on12 Jan 2026
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 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

RegistrationA5 RXW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourBlue
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,496cc

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

17 pass 10 fail
Pass 12 Jan 2026 127,253 miles

Front Headlamp switch does not immediately illuminate all dipped beam headlamps (4.1.3 (a))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Fail 8 Jan 2026 127,250 miles

Offside Front Side repeater light intensity significantly reduced (4.4.3 (a))

Rear Spare wheel carrier insecure (6.1.5 (a))

Front Headlamp switch does not immediately illuminate all dipped beam headlamps (4.1.3 (a))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Pass 4 Dec 2024 125,219 miles

All brake discs corroded

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Fail 20 Nov 2024 125,216 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Windscreen wiper missing (3.4 (a))

Offside Headlamp light intensity severely reduced (4.1.4 (a))

Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play on the end of the damper (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

All brake discs corroded

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 12 Aug 2023 124,000 miles

Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 13 Aug 2022 122,107 miles
Fail 13 Aug 2022 122,107 miles

Offside Front Windscreen wiper missing (3.4 (a))

Pass 20 Aug 2021 119,407 miles

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Aug 2020 117,168 miles
Pass 29 Sep 2018 114,633 miles

Central Rear Sub-frame ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Fail 29 Sep 2018 114,633 miles

Central Rear Sub-frame ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear All direction indicators not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 9 Dec 2017 248,934 miles

Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Rear Sub-frame ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Fail 28 Oct 2017 111,410 miles

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

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Windscreen has damage to an area in excess of a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Central Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Central Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside All position lamps not working (1.1.A.3b)

Pass 8 Oct 2016 107,671 miles
Pass 30 Oct 2015 104,735 miles
Fail 30 Oct 2015 104,735 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Pass 15 Nov 2013 97,543 miles

Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 14 Nov 2013 97,533 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.6.6)

Offside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 3 Nov 2012 91,748 miles

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Fail 20 Oct 2012 91,732 miles

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Pass 28 Sep 2011 84,294 miles

Offside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Pass 24 Sep 2010 70,394 miles
Fail 24 Sep 2010 70,393 miles

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

Offside Rear Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

Pass 24 Sep 2009 58,353 miles

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

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

Pass 2 Oct 2008 45,984 miles
Fail 29 Sep 2008 45,984 miles

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

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 18 Sep 2007 35,125 miles

Offside inner track rod end joint cover split/missing

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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A5 RXW is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63%.

Across all 1986 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.7% with a typical mileage of 124,952 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 A5 RXW, 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 40 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 A5 RXW?

You can check the full history of A5 RXW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A5 RXW registered?

A5 RXW is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 September 1986.

Is A5 RXW safe to buy?

The MOT history for A5 RXW shows 27 tests with a 63% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A5 RXW 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 A5 RXW. 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.