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B26 DEF

1989 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Oct 2027
Tests22 (12 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate54.5%

Mileage

156,446 mi
Last recorded156,446 miles
Recorded on22 Sep 2026
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationB26 DEF
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourBlack
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

12 pass 10 fail
Pass 22 Sep 2026 156,446 miles

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

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

Fail 22 Sep 2026 156,446 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp does not emit a steady red light (4.5.4 (a))

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

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

Pass 18 Sep 2025 168,947 miles

Nearside Front Oil leak, but not excessive swivel hub grease leaking (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Outer Oil leak, but not excessive half shaft seal leaking (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Windscreen wiper blade defective both (3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 10 Sep 2025 168,808 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (8.2.2.2 (b))

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

Nearside Front Oil leak, but not excessive swivel hub grease leaking (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Outer Oil leak, but not excessive half shaft seal leaking (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Windscreen wiper blade defective both (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 9 Oct 2024 166,146 miles
Fail 17 Sep 2024 165,953 miles

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

Pass 4 Sep 2023 163,695 miles
Pass 27 Aug 2022 163,615 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Fail 27 Aug 2022 163,615 miles

Rear fog lamp tell-tale not working (4.9.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Fail 6 Aug 2022 163,609 miles

Nearside Rear Brake drum contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

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

Rear fog lamp tell-tale not working (4.9.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 12 Aug 2021 163,337 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive nearside rear half shaft (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 5 Aug 2021 163,333 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Oil leak, but not excessive nearside rear half shaft (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 17 Aug 2020 163,180 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 16 Aug 2019 162,690 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 27 Jul 2019 162,686 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Direction indicator adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.4.3 (b))

Offside Front Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

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

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 20 Jul 2018 161,434 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 14 Jul 2018 161,430 miles

Driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen materially affected by an obstruction (3.1 (a) (ii))

Hazard warning tell-tale inoperative (4.9.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 21 Jul 2017 160,293 miles
Fail 29 Apr 2017 160,240 miles

Ball joint has excessive play drop arm from steering box (2.2.B.1f)

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid level below minimum level (3.6.G.1b)

Front registration plate deteriorated broken, piece missing. (6.3.1d)

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Nearside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Steering box insecure (2.2.B.1a)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases front pipe to turbo flange (7.1.2)

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

Nearside Rear half shaft seal leaking oil

Offside Front tyre has a tear but not deep enough to reach ply or cords.

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

Pass 29 Mar 2016 148,991 miles
Pass 3 Nov 2006 142,168 miles
Fail 31 Oct 2006 142,168 miles

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a swivel pin (2.5.A.3b)

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

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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B26 DEF is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 54.5%.

Across all 1989 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.8% with a typical mileage of 127,912 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 B26 DEF, 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 37 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 B26 DEF?

You can check the full history of B26 DEF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B26 DEF registered?

B26 DEF is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1989.

Is B26 DEF safe to buy?

The MOT history for B26 DEF shows 22 tests with a 54.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B26 DEF 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 B26 DEF. 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.