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B489 REH

1985 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 Mar 2027
Tests23 (20 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate87%

Mileage

196,674 mi
Last recorded196,674 miles
Recorded on6 Mar 2026
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationB489 REH
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlack
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,496cc

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 3 fail
Pass 6 Mar 2026 196,674 miles

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 8 Feb 2025 195,939 miles

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

Pass 8 Mar 2024 195,140 miles

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

Nearside Front swivel damp

Pass 8 Mar 2023 194,796 miles

Nearside Front Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced inner wing (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced inner wing (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive all rear axle and mounting very corroded (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Pass 28 Feb 2022 194,194 miles

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

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

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

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive rear axle casing (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

all wheels corroded

parking brake has long travel

Pass 17 Feb 2021 193,955 miles

Coil spring corroded ALL COIL SPRINGS (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive BOTH REAR LOWER MOUNTING AREAS (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Rear Suspension component corroded but not seriously weakened AXEL CORRODED (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 17 Feb 2020 193,584 miles

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

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

Pass 21 Feb 2019 192,596 miles

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

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

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

Fail 8 Feb 2019 192,579 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension spring mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

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

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

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

Pass 6 Feb 2018 190,606 miles

ALL TYRES CRACKING

Nearside Front HUB DAMP

Offside Front Ball joint has slight play FROM STEERING BOX (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak ENGINE ()

Rear Oil leak DIFF ()

Pass 9 Feb 2017 189,166 miles

Front BOTH TYRES PERRISHING

Nearside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Oil leak ()

Fail 9 Feb 2017 189,166 miles

Front BOTH TYRES PERRISHING

Nearside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Offside Lower Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Oil leak ()

Pass 4 Feb 2016 187,612 miles

Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt A-frame (2.4.G.2)

tyres starting to crack

Pass 30 Jan 2015 186,330 miles
Fail 16 Jan 2014 184,877 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 16 Jan 2014 184,877 miles
Pass 12 Feb 2013 182,480 miles
Pass 10 Feb 2012 181,650 miles
Pass 9 Apr 2010 179,568 miles
Pass 7 Jan 2009 177,746 miles
Pass 1 Dec 2007
Pass 5 Dec 2006 170,557 miles
Pass 22 Sep 2005 167,896 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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B489 REH is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 87%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 B489 REH, 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 B489 REH?

You can check the full history of B489 REH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B489 REH registered?

B489 REH is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 20 May 1985.

Is B489 REH safe to buy?

The MOT history for B489 REH shows 23 tests with a 87% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B489 REH 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 B489 REH. 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.