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B48 XVH

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 Mar 2027
Tests24 (17 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate70.8%

Mileage

148,948 mi
Last recorded148,948 miles
Recorded on30 Mar 2026
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 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

RegistrationB48 XVH
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
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

17 pass 7 fail
Pass 30 Mar 2026 148,948 miles
Pass 5 Jul 2023 147,350 miles

Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play both sides (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Front Wheel bearing has slight play both sides (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm end (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 18 May 2022 142,524 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Swivel pin has slight play. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 6 May 2022 142,515 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Rear fog lamp switch inoperative (4.5.3 (a))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Swivel pin has slight play. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 10 May 2021 141,787 miles
Fail 4 May 2021 141,787 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

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

Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers likely to become detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Rear Brake hose leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.12 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Steering box has relative movement to chassis/bodywork (2.1.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 8 Jul 2019 139,387 miles

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

Pass 10 Jul 2018 136,582 miles
Pass 17 Jul 2017 134,272 miles
Fail 7 Jul 2017 134,187 miles

Main beam 'tell-tale' not working (1.7.4c)

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 13 Jul 2016 131,894 miles
Fail 13 Jul 2016 131,894 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Pass 9 Jul 2015 129,613 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 12 Jul 2014 127,663 miles
Fail 8 Jul 2014 127,648 miles

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

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Rear Torque/reaction arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 25 Jul 2013 125,173 miles
Fail 17 Jul 2013 125,168 miles

Nearside Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Pass 26 Jul 2012 123,017 miles
Pass 27 Aug 2010 122,031 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Fail 26 Aug 2010 121,993 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt stitching badly frayed (5.2.2b)

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Pass 25 Aug 2009 120,316 miles
Pass 18 Sep 2008 116,537 miles
Pass 10 Jan 2007 116,342 miles

chassis corroded and covered in under seal

oil leaks from around engine

seat mounting corroded

Pass 31 Dec 2005 116,261 miles

BODY AND CHASSIS CORRODED AND COVERED IN UNDERSEAL † †SMALL POWER STEERING LEAK AROUND PUMP

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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B48 XVH is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.8%.

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 B48 XVH, 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 B48 XVH?

You can check the full history of B48 XVH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B48 XVH registered?

B48 XVH is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 4 February 1985.

Is B48 XVH safe to buy?

The MOT history for B48 XVH shows 24 tests with a 70.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B48 XVH 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 B48 XVH. 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.