CarVerify

Free Car Check

B897 DMA

1985 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires22 Jan 2027
Tests19 (16 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate84.2%

Mileage

158,698 mi
Last recorded158,698 miles
Recorded on23 Jan 2026
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
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

RegistrationB897 DMA
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourGreen
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 3 fail
Pass 23 Jan 2026 158,698 miles

Front Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing both (5.3.2 (b))

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

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch all ()

all tyres old

light switch sticky

Pass 10 Jan 2025 156,055 miles

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened inner face (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened inner face (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 11 Jan 2024 154,387 miles

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

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened INNER FACE (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened INNER FACE (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fail 9 Jan 2024 154,387 miles

Offside Front 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))

Rear fog lamp switch not operating in accordance with the requirements (4.5.3 (a))

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened INNER FACE (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened INNER FACE (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 17 Jan 2023 153,400 miles

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

Pass 17 Dec 2021 151,953 miles

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

Pass 16 Dec 2020 149,717 miles

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

Pass 6 Dec 2019 147,550 miles
Pass 17 Dec 2018 147,501 miles

brake pedal spongy

Pass 20 Dec 2017 146,554 miles

Central Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Pass 15 Oct 2016 146,235 miles
Pass 11 Sep 2015 141,429 miles
Pass 6 Dec 2010 141,269 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

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

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

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

Fail 9 Nov 2010 141,242 miles

Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Nearside Front Brake pipe kinked (3.6.B.2b)

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

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

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

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

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

Pass 4 Nov 2009 140,095 miles

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

Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Steering column universal joint has slight play (2.1.5)

Pass 23 Jun 2008 138,785 miles

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

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

Pass 25 Jun 2007 136,890 miles
Fail 22 Jun 2007 136,890 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 26 Jun 2006 133,842 miles

Nearside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Offside Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

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

B897 DMA is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 84.2%.

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 B897 DMA, 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 B897 DMA?

You can check the full history of B897 DMA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B897 DMA registered?

B897 DMA is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 12 April 1985.

Is B897 DMA safe to buy?

The MOT history for B897 DMA shows 19 tests with a 84.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B897 DMA 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 B897 DMA. 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.