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B517 HTY

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Petrol 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Oct 2026
Tests22 (13 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate59.1%

Mileage

143,271 mi
Last recorded143,271 miles
Recorded on3 Oct 2025
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

RegistrationB517 HTY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
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

13 pass 9 fail
Pass 3 Oct 2025 143,271 miles

Nearside Front swivel slight weep of fluid

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

Offside Front swivel slight weep of fluid

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

slight fluid leak from offside rear axle seal

Fail 23 Sep 2025 143,267 miles

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))

Offside 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))

Offside Front 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))

Nearside Front swivel slight weep of fluid

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

Offside Front swivel slight weep of fluid

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

slight fluid leak from offside rear axle seal

Pass 13 Oct 2022 143,176 miles

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

Fail 10 Oct 2022 143,172 miles

Nearside Rear Brake disc contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

Offside Front Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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))

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

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

Pass 15 Feb 2021 141,562 miles
Fail 10 Feb 2021 141,558 miles

Nearside Front Steering locking device missing (2.1.3 (d))

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Steering locking device missing (2.1.3 (d))

Offside Rear 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))

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))

Pass 23 Jun 2019 141,274 miles
Pass 28 Jan 2018 140,673 miles
Pass 12 Nov 2016 139,209 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2012 140,858 miles

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

Nearside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Oil leak

front and rear diffs leaking

nearside svivel housing leaking

Fail 13 Feb 2012 140,858 miles

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

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

Nearside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Oil leak

front and rear diffs leaking

nearside svivel housing leaking

Pass 21 Feb 2011 136,614 miles

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

Fail 19 Jan 2011 136,569 miles

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

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

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 29 Jan 2010 131,493 miles

nearside front stub axle leaking

nearside front stub axle slight play

power assisted steering leaking

rear diff leaking

steering box leaking

Fail 26 Jan 2010 131,493 miles

Offside Front Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

nearside front stub axle leaking

nearside front stub axle slight play

power assisted steering leaking

rear diff leaking

steering box leaking

Pass 26 Jan 2009 126,393 miles

nearside front swivel housing leaking

waterpump leaking

Fail 26 Jan 2009 126,393 miles

Steering column movement between the shaft and steering wheel (2.1.2b)

nearside front swivel housing leaking

waterpump leaking

Pass 4 Feb 2008 120,602 miles
Fail 31 Jan 2008 120,602 miles

Driver's door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 11 Jan 2007 116,161 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2007 116,160 miles

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear Parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.D.3a)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.D.4)

Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (3.6.C.3)

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

Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 30 Jan 2006 115,507 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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B517 HTY is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 59.1%.

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 B517 HTY, 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 B517 HTY?

You can check the full history of B517 HTY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B517 HTY registered?

B517 HTY is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 4 April 1985.

Is B517 HTY safe to buy?

The MOT history for B517 HTY shows 22 tests with a 59.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B517 HTY 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 B517 HTY. 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.