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B438 TVF

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 3528cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Sep 2026
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

122,154 mi
Last recorded122,154 miles
Recorded on9 Sep 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 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

RegistrationB438 TVF
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine3,528cc

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

20 pass 9 fail
Pass 9 Sep 2025 122,154 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 5 Sep 2024 122,129 miles
Pass 20 Sep 2023 122,103 miles

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

Pass 29 Oct 2022 121,856 miles

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

Fail 25 Oct 2022 121,803 miles

Nearside Front Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play steering box to hub, ball joint hub side (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

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

Steering rack has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted) (2.3 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 10 Nov 2021 121,184 miles

Nearside Rear Steering linkage ball joint has slight play steering box to front hub (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 19 Nov 2020 120,843 miles
Pass 13 Nov 2019 120,383 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

both front seat base foam deteriated

Pass 8 Nov 2018 119,440 miles

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

Fail 8 Nov 2018 119,440 miles

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

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

Pass 17 Nov 2017 118,411 miles
Fail 14 Nov 2017 118,400 miles

Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Indicator switch faulty (1.4.A.1)

Pass 24 Nov 2016 117,775 miles
Fail 14 Jun 2016 117,707 miles

Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion body mounting (6.1.B.2)

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

Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 29 May 2015 116,368 miles

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Fail 22 May 2015 116,321 miles

Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 13 Jun 2014 115,442 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.2b)

Pass 7 Jun 2013 113,851 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 20 Jun 2012 112,119 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 11 Jun 2012 112,113 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 2 Jun 2011 110,186 miles
Fail 27 May 2011 110,096 miles

Fuel tank leaking (7.2.3)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

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

Pass 2 Jun 2010 108,915 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2009 107,471 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 8 Jun 2009 107,464 miles

Steering box has relative movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.2.B.1b)

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 5 Jun 2008 106,637 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Steering box has slight weep at sector shaft

Pass 12 Jun 2007 105,562 miles
Fail 6 Jun 2007 105,537 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Nearside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 30 May 2006 104,170 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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B438 TVF is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 3,528cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

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 B438 TVF, 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 B438 TVF?

You can check the full history of B438 TVF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B438 TVF registered?

B438 TVF is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 April 1985.

Is B438 TVF safe to buy?

The MOT history for B438 TVF shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B438 TVF 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 B438 TVF. 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.