CarVerify

Free Car Check

B995 VAT

1985 Land Rover Defender

Black Petrol 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires10 Oct 2026
Tests18 (14 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

118,476 mi
Last recorded118,476 miles
Recorded on11 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
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

RegistrationB995 VAT
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
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

14 pass 4 fail
Pass 11 Oct 2025 118,476 miles
Pass 22 Apr 2024 118,232 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2023 117,224 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2022 116,328 miles
Pass 6 May 2021 116,028 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 6 May 2020 115,570 miles
Fail 5 May 2020 115,569 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine (8.2.2.2 (b))

Pass 25 Jan 2019 115,044 miles

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

Pass 9 Feb 2018 114,994 miles

Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt ()

Pass 22 Sep 2016 114,012 miles
Fail 23 Nov 2015 114,885 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases center joint (7.1.2)

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

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement trailing arm rear bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement axle sway bar (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

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

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 17 Dec 2014 158,608 miles

exhaust and mountings starting to deteriorate

fuel cap seal starting to deteriorate

rear brake discs starting to corrode

slight play in o/sn/s front hub bearings

Fail 17 Dec 2014 158,608 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Front registration plate missing (6.3.1a)

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

exhaust and mountings starting to deteriorate

fuel cap seal starting to deteriorate

rear brake discs starting to corrode

slight play in o/sn/s front hub bearings

Pass 18 Aug 2010 158,287 miles

ADVISE SLIGHT BLOW FROM EXHAUST MANOFOLD.

Pass 28 Apr 2009 158,102 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2008 155,894 miles
Pass 18 Jan 2007 150,649 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2007 150,649 miles

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Offside Rear Upper Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Offside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Both rear tyres and nearside front tyre starting to crack on sidewalls.

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

B995 VAT is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.8%.

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 B995 VAT, 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 B995 VAT?

You can check the full history of B995 VAT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B995 VAT registered?

B995 VAT is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 8 March 1985.

Is B995 VAT safe to buy?

The MOT history for B995 VAT shows 18 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B995 VAT 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 B995 VAT. 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.