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B83 MSM

1985 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires23 Feb 2026
Tests26 (17 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate65.4%

Mileage

131,087 mi
Last recorded131,087 miles
Recorded on24 Feb 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

RegistrationB83 MSM
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourGreen
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 9 fail
Pass 24 Feb 2025 131,087 miles
Pass 22 Jan 2024 128,130 miles

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

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive Halfshaft. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 24 Jan 2023 125,564 miles

Front Suspension rod ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Both (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Fail 24 Jan 2023 125,564 miles

Nearside Front Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Front Suspension rod ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Both (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Pass 19 May 2022 125,454 miles
Pass 27 Aug 2020 125,231 miles
Fail 27 Aug 2020 125,229 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device ineffective (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 23 Jul 2019 125,127 miles
Pass 10 Apr 2018 125,100 miles
Fail 10 Apr 2018 125,100 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Pass 23 Jun 2015 124,798 miles

under side of vehicle rusty

Fail 23 Jun 2015 124,798 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe leaking (3.6.A.1)

Nearside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Nearside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Fail 7 May 2015 124,716 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

Pass 18 Jun 2014 124,140 miles
Pass 25 Apr 2013 123,410 miles

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

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

headlight switch intermittent fault

Pass 23 May 2012 122,175 miles

n/s bulkhead corroded next to n/s door hinge

o/s/f swivel joint slight leak from rear seal

slight leak from bottom steering box

slight oil leak rear gearbox oil seal area

Pass 17 May 2011 121,114 miles

front tyres worn inside edge

holed in body under screen

o/s/window wont open

slight play both front wheel bearings

Fail 17 May 2011 121,114 miles

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

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

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Rear registration plate faded (6.3.1d)

front tyres worn inside edge

holed in body under screen

o/s/window wont open

slight play both front wheel bearings

Pass 21 May 2010 119,754 miles
Pass 13 Mar 2009 118,749 miles

rear numberplate fading

Fail 10 Mar 2009 118,749 miles

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

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

rear numberplate fading

Pass 6 Mar 2008 118,342 miles
Pass 17 Jan 2007 116,634 miles
Fail 16 Jan 2007 116,634 miles

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

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Fuel cap/sealing device sealing washer missing (7.2.4c)

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

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

parkbrake light not working on dash

Pass 17 Jan 2006 113,385 miles
Fail 29 Dec 2005 113,600 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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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B83 MSM is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.4%.

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 B83 MSM, 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 B83 MSM?

You can check the full history of B83 MSM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B83 MSM registered?

B83 MSM is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 January 1985.

Is B83 MSM safe to buy?

The MOT history for B83 MSM shows 26 tests with a 65.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B83 MSM 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 B83 MSM. 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.