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B388 TAC

1985 Land Rover Defender

Brown Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Nov 2026
Tests27 (17 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate63%

Mileage

207,057 mi
Last recorded207,057 miles
Recorded on4 Nov 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationB388 TAC
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBrown
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

17 pass 10 fail
Pass 4 Nov 2025 207,057 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 29 Oct 2025 207,246 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 17 Oct 2024 206,354 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 10 Oct 2024 206,297 miles

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

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

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

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 13 Oct 2023 205,732 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 14 Oct 2022 205,327 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases flex (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

Fail 6 Oct 2022 205,249 miles

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

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

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases flex (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

Pass 6 Oct 2021 204,674 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

Fail 28 Sep 2021 204,590 miles

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

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

Nearside Drag link end 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 reflector missing (4.8.2 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear reflector missing (4.8.2 (a) (ii))

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

Pass 16 Jan 2019 200,169 miles

Offside Front Tyre wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch (5.2.3 (f))

Offside Rear Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Rear Prop shaft bearing has slight play (6.1.7 (b) (i))

Fail 16 Jan 2019 200,169 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Tyre wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch (5.2.3 (f))

Offside Rear Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Rear Prop shaft bearing has slight play (6.1.7 (b) (i))

Fail 11 Jan 2019 200,146 miles

Emissions not tested center exhaust blow (8.2.2.2 (e))

Front Prop shaft bearing excessively worn (6.1.7 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Road wheel badly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Front Prop shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

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

Offside Front Tyre wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch (5.2.3 (f))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Rear Prop shaft bearing has slight play (6.1.7 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Nov 2017 189,599 miles
Fail 3 Nov 2017 189,422 miles

Brake pedal has insufficient reserve movement (3.3.A.5)

Nearside Front Inner Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (5.2.5b)

Power steering component(s) leaking steering box (2.3.3b)

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 2 Nov 2016 187,891 miles
Pass 3 Nov 2015 181,330 miles
Pass 22 Oct 2014 176,448 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 24 Jul 2013 175,503 miles
Pass 3 Aug 2012 172,562 miles

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has slight movement between a swivel joint and its housing (2.5.A.1b)

Fail 3 Aug 2012 172,560 miles

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

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has slight movement between a swivel joint and its housing (2.5.A.1b)

Fail 21 Jul 2011 169,356 miles

Nearside Front Road wheel bead rim badly distorted (4.2.A.1a)

Pass 21 Jul 2011 169,356 miles
Pass 3 Aug 2010 165,851 miles
Fail 2 Aug 2010 165,844 miles

Front registration plate obscured (6.3.1d)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Pass 20 Jul 2009 165,065 miles
Pass 21 Apr 2007 164,145 miles
Pass 18 Mar 2006 157,784 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

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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.

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B388 TAC is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Brown with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63%.

Across all 1985 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.3% with a typical mileage of 122,807 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 B388 TAC, 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 41 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 B388 TAC?

You can check the full history of B388 TAC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B388 TAC registered?

B388 TAC is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 10 June 1985.

Is B388 TAC safe to buy?

The MOT history for B388 TAC 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 B388 TAC 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 B388 TAC. 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.