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B71 XAT

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 Oct 2026
Tests14 (12 pass, 2 fail)
Pass rate85.7%

Mileage

97,540 mi
Last recorded97,540 miles
Recorded on28 Oct 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationB71 XAT
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

12 pass 2 fail
Pass 28 Oct 2025 97,540 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Fail 28 Oct 2025 97,540 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Offside Rear reflector missing (4.8.2 (a) (ii))

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 30 Oct 2024 95,986 miles
Pass 24 Oct 2023 95,093 miles

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

Pass 18 Oct 2022 94,603 miles
Pass 21 Oct 2021 94,255 miles

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

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

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

Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play axle ball joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 16 Oct 2020 93,717 miles
Pass 22 Oct 2019 92,919 miles
Pass 30 Oct 2018 92,346 miles

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

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

Pass 4 Oct 2017 91,312 miles

Propshaft universal joint worn ()

Pass 27 Oct 2016 90,830 miles

Front prop shaft front u/j worn

Fail 25 Oct 2016 90,830 miles

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

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Front prop shaft front u/j worn

Oil leak ()

Pass 30 Oct 2015 90,063 miles
Pass 5 Sep 2014 89,353 miles

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

front propshaft front universal joint worn

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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B71 XAT is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 14 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 85.7%.

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 B71 XAT, 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 B71 XAT?

You can check the full history of B71 XAT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B71 XAT registered?

B71 XAT is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 July 1985.

Is B71 XAT safe to buy?

The MOT history for B71 XAT shows 14 tests with a 85.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B71 XAT 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 B71 XAT. 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.