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B896 XHT

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires11 Jan 2027
Tests27 (16 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate59.3%

Mileage

135,570 mi
Last recorded135,570 miles
Recorded on12 Jan 2026
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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationB896 XHT
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
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

16 pass 11 fail
Pass 12 Jan 2026 135,570 miles

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

Front Coil spring corroded Both front springs (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Front Windscreen wiper blade defective Both wipers (3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Oil leak very close to brake disc

Pass 13 Sep 2022 193,617 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Fail 13 Sep 2022 193,617 miles

Front Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect both (4.1.2 (c))

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

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Fail 2 Sep 2022 193,565 miles

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

Nearside Front Brake disc contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

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

Offside Front Brake disc contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 10 Sep 2021 191,563 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2020 189,014 miles

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

Pass 17 Jul 2019 184,716 miles

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

Fail 15 Jul 2019 184,716 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt steering box (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.1 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 13 Jul 2018 181,336 miles

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

Fail 3 Jul 2018 181,274 miles

Dipswitch does not operate immediately when selected on main beam (4.1.3 (b))

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Rear Brake pad(s) incorrectly mounted (1.1.13 (c)) DANGEROUS

Front Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively front uj (6.1.7 (c) (i))

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

Offside Front Outer Oil leak, but not excessive half shaft oil seal. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

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

hand brake lever has little reserve travel.

Pass 6 Jul 2017 178,068 miles

chassis and underside coated in oil

Fail 6 Jul 2017 178,053 miles

Front registration plate margin less than the minimum requirement (6.3.4g)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside front brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Offside front brakes release unevenly (3.7.B.4)

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

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

chassis and underside coated in oil

Pass 9 Feb 2017 176,784 miles

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

Nearside Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

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

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 15 Feb 2016 172,057 miles

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

Offside Front swivel housing has slight oil leak.

Fail 12 Feb 2016 172,056 miles

Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play steering box drop arm (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

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

Offside Front swivel housing has slight oil leak.

Front propshaft rear joint worn

Pass 20 Oct 2014 166,432 miles
Fail 14 Oct 2014 166,432 miles

Front Lower Steering column universal joint insecure (2.1.5)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.6.6)

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

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

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

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

front prop-shaft front joint worn slightly

near-side front wheel bearing starting to wear

rear prop-shaft front joint worn slightly

Pass 18 Oct 2013 164,972 miles
Pass 31 Oct 2012 155,481 miles
Fail 26 Oct 2012 155,456 miles

Hazard warning lamps inoperative (1.4.B.1b)

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

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b)

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

front propshaft rear joint worn excessively

Pass 5 Oct 2011 145,464 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2010 136,382 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Fail 26 Oct 2010 136,382 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (3.3.A.1b)

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

Lower Steering column universal joint has excessive play (2.1.5)

Nearside Rear fog lamp obviously incorrectly positioned (1.3.2a)

Nearside Seat belt obviously repaired (5.2.2c)

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

Offside Seat belt obviously repaired (5.2.2c)

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Fail 16 Oct 2009 134,508 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Front suspension has excessive play in an outer ball joint (2.5.B.2a)

Offside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (1.8)

Pass 16 Oct 2009 134,508 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2007 125,613 miles
Fail 2 Oct 2007 125,611 miles

Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Front Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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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B896 XHT is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 59.3%.

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 B896 XHT, 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 B896 XHT?

You can check the full history of B896 XHT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B896 XHT registered?

B896 XHT is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 18 March 1985.

Is B896 XHT safe to buy?

The MOT history for B896 XHT shows 27 tests with a 59.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B896 XHT 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 B896 XHT. 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.