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B491 XDE

1985 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires10 Nov 2026
Tests20 (13 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate65%

Mileage

113,535 mi
Last recorded113,535 miles
Recorded on11 Nov 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationB491 XDE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
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

13 pass 7 fail
Pass 11 Nov 2025 113,535 miles

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 28 Oct 2025 113,535 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Windscreen wiper not working (3.4 (a))

Power steering inoperative and steering adversely affected (2.1.5 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 20 May 2025 113,535 miles

All direction indicators not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe likely to become detached or damaged (1.1.11 (d) (ii))

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

Nearside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

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

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

Rear fog lamp switch not operating in accordance with the requirements (4.5.3 (a))

Service brake is causing the vehicle to swerve to the offside (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Windscreen wiper not working (3.4 (a))

Power steering inoperative and steering adversely affected (2.1.5 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

foot brake performance on minimum requirements

Pass 27 Mar 2017 113,535 miles
Pass 31 Mar 2016 113,342 miles
Fail 23 Mar 2016 113,535 miles

Direction indicators flashing less than 60 times a minute (1.4.A.2g)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 30 Mar 2015 112,356 miles
Fail 20 Mar 2015 112,356 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

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

Offside Front Steering column universal joint has excessive play (2.1.5)

Offside Rear Lower Trailing arm attachment bracket/mounting insecure (2.4.G.1)

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

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

rear piniom bearing worn

Pass 28 Mar 2014 112,317 miles

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

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

Pass 12 Oct 2012 106,317 miles

Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Oil leak

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

Fail 9 Oct 2012 106,268 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

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

Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Oil leak

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

Pass 4 Oct 2011 101,343 miles

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Centre Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

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

Pass 18 Oct 2010 94,663 miles
Pass 14 Oct 2009 88,857 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2008 80,822 miles
Fail 15 Oct 2008 80,821 miles

Dipswitch operation does not deflect all main beam headlamps to make them dipped beams (1.7.4b)

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not in good working order (function impaired) (1.1.4a)

Nearside Headlamp excessively damaged so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Parking brake lever, pawl mechanism pivot(s) or their associated mountings locking device insecure (3.1.4b)

Pass 24 Oct 2007 74,636 miles
Fail 23 Oct 2007 74,634 miles

Nearside Body has a sharp edge caused by damage (6.1.C.1)

Nearside Rear Seat belt insecurely fixed to the vehicles structure (5.2.1a)

Offside Body has a sharp edge caused by damage (6.1.C.1)

Offside Rear Rear passenger seat cannot be secured in the upright position. (6.2.3)

Offside Rear Seat belt insecurely fixed to the vehicles structure (5.2.1a)

Pass 31 Oct 2006 68,977 miles

hand brake lever pivot pin worn slightly

slight corrosion on brake pipes

Pass 1 Nov 2005 65,338 miles

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

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

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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B491 XDE is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65%.

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 B491 XDE, 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 B491 XDE?

You can check the full history of B491 XDE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B491 XDE registered?

B491 XDE is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 May 1985.

Is B491 XDE safe to buy?

The MOT history for B491 XDE shows 20 tests with a 65% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B491 XDE 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 B491 XDE. 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.