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C197 YKK

1985 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Dec 2026
Tests19 (15 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate78.9%

Mileage

114,766 mi
Last recorded114,766 miles
Recorded on12 Dec 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC197 YKK
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

15 pass 4 fail
Pass 12 Dec 2025 114,766 miles
Pass 18 Dec 2024 114,766 miles

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

Fail 4 Dec 2024 114,766 miles

Nearside Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear fog lamp with a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

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

Pass 11 Dec 2023 114,584 miles

Offside Drag link end ball joint has slight play drop arm ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 21 Nov 2022 113,850 miles

Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

Offside Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 4 Dec 2021 112,034 miles

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

Rear Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

Pass 21 Dec 2020 109,870 miles

exhaust louder than standard system

rear brake pipes minor rust

rusty underside advise wax oil

Pass 3 Oct 2019 109,538 miles
Pass 12 Sep 2018 108,688 miles
Pass 21 Mar 2017 108,668 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2016 108,273 miles

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 30 Jun 2010 203,045 miles
Fail 26 Jun 2010 203,034 miles

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

Pass 19 May 2009 202,348 miles
Pass 29 May 2008 202,127 miles

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

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Oil leak

o/s/f swivel weeping

steering box weeping

Fail 13 May 2008 202,127 miles

Nearside Front brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too far to the left (1.8)

Offside Front brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1a)

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

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

Nearside Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Oil leak

o/s/f swivel leaking

steering box weeping

Pass 22 May 2007 195,454 miles

Both front floor areas holed and coroded

Coolant leak

Nearside Rear Upper Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Oil leak

Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Rear cross member holed and coroded

Pass 9 Mar 2006 195,335 miles

rear crossmember is very rusty

tow bar/hitch insecure

Fail 8 Mar 2006 195,330 miles

Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Front registration plate letter/figure incomplete (6.3.1c)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

rear cross member is very rusty

some wear in the steering box bushes/bearings

tow bar/hitch insecure

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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C197 YKK 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 78.9%.

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 C197 YKK, 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 C197 YKK?

You can check the full history of C197 YKK by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C197 YKK registered?

C197 YKK is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 December 1985.

Is C197 YKK safe to buy?

The MOT history for C197 YKK shows 19 tests with a 78.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C197 YKK 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 C197 YKK. 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.