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ABZ 494

1986 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Jun 2027
Tests8 (5 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate62.5%

Mileage

121,099 mi
Last recorded121,099 miles
Recorded on21 May 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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationABZ 494
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGrey
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

5 pass 3 fail
Pass 21 May 2026 121,099 miles

Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn both front (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement forward bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Fail 18 May 2026 121,091 miles

Brake lever has insufficient reserve travel (1.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake drum contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

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

Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn both front (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement forward bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Pass 4 Jun 2025 120,025 miles

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

Wheel bearing has slight play all bearings (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Fail 31 May 2025 119,987 miles

Front Windscreen wiper not working (3.4 (a))

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Steering column top bearing excessively worn upper uj bearing (in engine bay) (2.2.2 (b))

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

Wheel bearing has slight play all bearings (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 25 May 2024 118,808 miles

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

Oil leak, but not excessive Front swivel joints (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 20 May 2023 117,195 miles
Pass 31 Mar 2021 116,212 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush perished (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush perished (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

larger wheels and tyres fitted

no hard top fitted

wheel spacers fitted

Fail 31 Mar 2021 116,211 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre(s) with different aspect ratios are fitted on the same axle. (5.2.3 (b))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush perished (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush perished (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Windscreen wiper not working (3.4 (a))

larger wheels and tyres fitted

no hard top fitted

wheel spacers fitted

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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ABZ 494 is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 8 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.5%.

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 ABZ 494, 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 ABZ 494?

You can check the full history of ABZ 494 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was ABZ 494 registered?

ABZ 494 is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is ABZ 494 safe to buy?

The MOT history for ABZ 494 shows 8 tests with a 62.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does ABZ 494 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 ABZ 494. 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.