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C171 SSM

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Mar 2027
Tests19 (14 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate73.7%

Mileage

165,661 mi
Last recorded165,661 miles
Recorded on9 Mar 2026
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC171 SSM
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,496cc

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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 5 fail
Pass 9 Mar 2026 165,661 miles

Bulkhead corroded

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

Pass 5 Feb 2025 162,337 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2024 158,164 miles

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

Pass 19 Jan 2023 151,313 miles

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

Pass 4 Feb 2022 146,895 miles

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

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

Pass 12 Feb 2021 145,324 miles
Pass 30 Sep 2019 144,401 miles
Fail 30 Sep 2019 144,401 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (1.1.2 (c))

Pass 26 Sep 2018 143,040 miles

both front shockers and turrets corroded

o/s/f radius arm bushes to axle worn

slight brake pull to left under braking

slight leak from transmition box

slight weep from o/s/f swivel ball seal

Pass 1 Nov 2017 140,949 miles
Pass 7 Oct 2016 137,815 miles
Pass 29 Apr 2015 132,814 miles

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

Fail 29 Apr 2015 132,814 miles

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 20 Mar 2014 125,974 miles
Fail 18 Mar 2014 125,969 miles

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 2 Apr 2013 121,965 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Fail 28 Mar 2013 121,964 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.7.5c)

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

Offside Front Driver's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

Offside Front Headlamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.7.5c)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 24 Sep 2012 116,383 miles

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Fail 20 Sep 2012 116,383 miles

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

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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C171 SSM is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.7%.

Across all 1986 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.7% with a typical mileage of 124,952 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 C171 SSM, 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 40 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 C171 SSM?

You can check the full history of C171 SSM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C171 SSM registered?

C171 SSM is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C171 SSM safe to buy?

The MOT history for C171 SSM shows 19 tests with a 73.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C171 SSM 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 C171 SSM. 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.