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C181 GVU

1989 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Aug 2027
Tests29 (18 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate62.1%

Mileage

38,548 mi
Last recorded38,548 miles
Recorded on4 Aug 2026
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 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

RegistrationC181 GVU
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourBlack
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

18 pass 11 fail
Pass 4 Aug 2026 38,548 miles

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

Pass 1 Dec 2025 38,525 miles

Offside Rear slight leak on o/s rear hub

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

Fail 1 Dec 2025 38,525 miles

Front Power steering ram insecure and steering adversely affected Steering damper worn (2.1.5 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear slight leak on o/s rear hub

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

Pass 1 Nov 2024 38,513 miles
Pass 2 Nov 2023 38,375 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

oil leak

Fail 31 Oct 2023 38,374 miles

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

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

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

oil leak

Fail 5 Oct 2023 38,373 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers insecurely attached (5.3.2 (a) (i))

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

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

Offside Obligatory mirror insecure (3.3 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake drum contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

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

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

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

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Offside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

oil leak

Pass 27 Jul 2022 37,802 miles

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

Pass 21 Jan 2021 37,789 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Non obligatory mirror damaged

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

battery box poor condition

Fail 12 Jan 2021 37,789 miles

Brake fluid significantly below minimum mark (1.1.10 (d) (ii))

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

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

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear reflector missing (4.8.2 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear reflector missing (4.8.2 (a) (ii))

Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected (5.3.6 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Non obligatory mirror damaged

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

battery box poor condition

Pass 3 Nov 2016 35,672 miles
Pass 13 Oct 2015 34,781 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Front brake discs worn

Pass 23 Sep 2014 33,591 miles

Oil leak

Pass 19 Sep 2013 32,445 miles
Pass 15 Oct 2012 31,349 miles

Oil leak

front and rear tyers has cracking on side walls

Fail 15 Oct 2012 31,348 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Oil leak

front and rear tyers has cracking on side walls

Pass 21 Sep 2011 30,290 miles
Fail 21 Sep 2011 30,287 miles

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

Pass 19 Oct 2010 29,070 miles
Fail 18 Oct 2010 29,069 miles

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

Pass 21 Sep 2009 28,218 miles
Pass 30 Sep 2008 27,337 miles
Fail 30 Sep 2008 27,337 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Pass 17 Sep 2007 25,941 miles
Fail 14 Sep 2007 25,939 miles

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 2 Oct 2006 23,900 miles
Fail 2 Oct 2006 23,899 miles

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

Pass 27 Sep 2005 22,073 miles
Fail 21 Sep 2005 22,051 miles

Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Offside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (3.6.B.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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C181 GVU is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.1%.

Across all 1989 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.8% with a typical mileage of 127,912 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 C181 GVU, 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 37 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 C181 GVU?

You can check the full history of C181 GVU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C181 GVU registered?

C181 GVU is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1989.

Is C181 GVU safe to buy?

The MOT history for C181 GVU shows 29 tests with a 62.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C181 GVU 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 C181 GVU. 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.