CarVerify

Free Car Check

A785 MLJ

1984 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2500cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires14 Oct 2026
Tests13 (7 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate53.8%

Mileage

213,816 mi
Last recorded213,816 miles
Recorded on15 Oct 2025
Typical for 1984 Land Rover Defender119,280 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £14.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationA785 MLJ
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1984
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,500cc

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

7 pass 6 fail
Pass 15 Oct 2025 213,816 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive rear diff seal and transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement ns and os a frame bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear brake back plates oily

no plate lamp dim and affected by other lamps

Fail 10 Oct 2025 213,816 miles

Fuel system component leaking at injectors (6.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Headlamp aim unable to be tested (4.1.2 (b))

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Seat belt not functioning as intended (7.1.2 (c))

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp ns and os rear (4.2.3 (c))

Rear Direction indicator not working ns and os (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Rear brake back plates oily

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive rear diff seal and transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement ns and os a frame bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

no plate lamp dim and affected by other lamps

Pass 19 Sep 2024 213,538 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases tail pipe (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Front passenger door catch deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement hockey stick bush worn or loose with movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play rear track rod (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear brake outer back plate contminated brake performance ok customer advised of recent repiar.

Offside Rear rotational noise

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

no plate lamp poor lense dirty

Fail 13 Sep 2024 213,537 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device ineffective split (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Fuel tank leaking (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt rear track rod (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn panhard rod bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively ns and os (3.4 (b) (ii))

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases tail pipe (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Front passenger door catch deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement hockey stick bush worn or loose with movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play rear track rod (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear brake outer back plate contminated brake performance ok customer advised of recent repiar.

Offside Rear rotational noise

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

no plate lamp poor lense dirty

Pass 8 Sep 2023 210,505 miles

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play rear track rod (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 7 Sep 2023 210,498 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm ball joint (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Track rod end seriously misaligned ns and os (2.1.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive diff to hub leak possibly into brake shoes? (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 9 Sep 2022 203,337 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly damaged (1.1.11 (c))

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

Fail 9 Sep 2022 203,337 miles

Front Registration plate insecure (0.1 (a))

Headlamp aim too low ns and os (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly damaged (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 8 Sep 2021 203,337 miles

Central Rear Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive half shaft seal to back plate (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Fail 8 Sep 2021 203,337 miles

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Central Rear Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Headlamp aim too high ns and os (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive half shaft seal to back plate (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Sep 2020 198,986 miles

brake travel

light switch slight play

Fail 2 Sep 2020 198,986 miles

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

brake travel

light switch slight play

Pass 5 Sep 2019 194,461 miles

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

A785 MLJ is a 1984 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 13 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 53.8%.

Across all 1984 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.4% with a typical mileage of 119,280 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 A785 MLJ, 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 42 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 A785 MLJ?

You can check the full history of A785 MLJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A785 MLJ registered?

A785 MLJ is a 1984 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 7 June 1984.

Is A785 MLJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for A785 MLJ shows 13 tests with a 53.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A785 MLJ 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 A785 MLJ. 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.