CarVerify

Free Car Check

B525 NRE

1985 Land Rover Defender

Cream Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 Oct 2026
Tests30 (18 pass, 12 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

252,173 mi
Last recorded252,173 miles
Recorded on30 Oct 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationB525 NRE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourCream
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

18 pass 12 fail
Pass 30 Oct 2025 252,173 miles
Fail 20 Oct 2025 252,153 miles

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid level significantly below minimum level (1.1.10 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Suspension rod pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension component insecurely attached arm (5.3.3 (a) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Pass 27 Jan 2025 244,421 miles

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

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

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

Fail 20 Jan 2025 244,283 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))

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

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

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

Pass 30 Jan 2024 232,574 miles
Fail 8 Jan 2024 232,574 miles

Central Rear Upper Suspension component ball joint excessively worn on axle (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 31 Jan 2023 218,566 miles

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

no seats fitted at rear

Fail 25 Jan 2023 217,903 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 Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

no seats fitted at rear

Pass 25 Jan 2022 205,205 miles

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 21 Jan 2022 205,187 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.2.2 (e))

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Steering locking device missing (2.1.3 (d))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 8 Jan 2021 199,886 miles

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

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 19 Jul 2019 185,432 miles

Reverse light not working

Pass 25 Jul 2018 177,807 miles
Fail 24 Jul 2018 177,772 miles

Exhaust emissions test aborted because smoke levels are significantly in excess of the specified limit values (8.2.2.2 (f))

Pass 26 Jul 2017 169,397 miles

Front tyres worn on outer edge

Nearside Rear Brake binding slightly

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

auxiliary belt loose

Fail 26 Jul 2017 169,395 miles

Brake fluid warning lamp inoperative (3.6.G.2)

Front tyres worn on outer edge

Nearside Rear Brake binding slightly

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

auxiliary belt loose

Pass 23 Sep 2015 169,358 miles

Ball joint has slight play steering box arm (2.2.B.1f)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front steering damper bushes worn

Nearside Rear tyre side wall slight cut +perrishing

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a joint steering box (2.3.3b)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

oil leaks and slight discharge around hub seels

underside coated in in anti rust oil/grease

Fail 17 Sep 2015 169,357 miles

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Power steering pump leaking from a failed joint (2.3.3b)

Ball joint has slight play steering box arm (2.2.B.1f)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front steering damper bushes worn

Nearside Rear tyre side wall slight cut +perrishing

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a joint steering box (2.3.3b)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

oil leaks and slight discharge around hub seels

underside coated in in anti rust oil/grease

Pass 16 Aug 2013 169,212 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

cut in nearside rear tyre

front tyres starting to wear unevenly

slight play in front suspension joints

Fail 16 Aug 2013 169,212 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

cut in nearside rear tyre

front tyres starting to wear unevenly

slight play in front suspension joints

Pass 15 Aug 2012 169,192 miles

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid close to minimum level (3.6.G.1b)

front tyres showing uneven wear

Fail 15 Aug 2012 169,192 miles

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid close to minimum level (3.6.G.1b)

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

front tyres showing uneven wear

Pass 11 Aug 2011 168,114 miles

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

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Offside Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Oil leak

front tyres showing uneven wear

Fail 8 Aug 2011 168,112 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Offside Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Oil leak

front tyres showing uneven wear

Pass 5 Aug 2010 165,400 miles
Pass 23 Feb 2009 163,762 miles

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

Offside Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

front tyres starting to show uneven wear

winscreen washer supply slightly poor

Pass 14 Feb 2008 162,240 miles

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

starter motor rattling due to bieng loose in its housing

Pass 20 Feb 2007 160,608 miles

nearside rear tyre has a cut in outer wall

starter motor either loose or falling apart

Fail 9 Dec 2005 157,590 miles

Headlamp aim too low when the centre of the headlamp is above 850mm from the ground (1.6.B3)

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

oil level low

Pass 9 Dec 2005 157,590 miles

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

oil level low

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

B525 NRE is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Cream with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

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 B525 NRE, 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 B525 NRE?

You can check the full history of B525 NRE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B525 NRE registered?

B525 NRE is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 19 January 1985.

Is B525 NRE safe to buy?

The MOT history for B525 NRE shows 30 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B525 NRE 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 B525 NRE. 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.