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B963 RLP

1985 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2500cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 May 2027
Tests9 (6 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

11,202 mi
Last recorded11,202 miles
Recorded on24 Apr 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

RegistrationB963 RLP
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlack
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,500cc

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

6 pass 3 fail
Pass 24 Apr 2026 11,202 miles

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

Front Oil leak, but not excessive Diff prop seal. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Inner Fluid leak, but not excessive Hub seal. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Fluid leak, but not excessive Hub seal. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive Engine, heavy leak. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive Transfer box prop seal. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 16 May 2025 10,166 miles
Pass 17 May 2024 9,810 miles
Pass 15 May 2023 9,769 miles

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Rear (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

Fail 2 May 2023 9,759 miles

Drive belt excessively worn (6.1.7 (c) (i))

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

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Rear (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

Fail 6 Apr 2023 9,754 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside 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 Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Number plate fitted in wrong place + lamp flashing with hazards (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Speedometer cannot be illuminated (7.8 (c) (ii))

Speedometer clearly inoperative (7.8 (b) (ii))

Auxiliary belt loose

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

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair.

Pass 3 Mar 2022 9,754 miles
Fail 10 Feb 2022 9,754 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 11 Jan 2021 9,706 miles

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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B963 RLP is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 9 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 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 B963 RLP, 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 B963 RLP?

You can check the full history of B963 RLP by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B963 RLP registered?

B963 RLP is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1985.

Is B963 RLP safe to buy?

The MOT history for B963 RLP shows 9 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B963 RLP 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 B963 RLP. 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.