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C243 VPL

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires14 Sep 2026
Tests21 (13 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate61.9%

Mileage

66,718 mi
Last recorded66,718 miles
Recorded on23 Sep 2026
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 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

RegistrationC243 VPL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
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

13 pass 8 fail
Fail 23 Sep 2026 66,718 miles

Fuel pipe leaking leak of pipes (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt front (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt rear (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Nearside Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Sep 2025 66,669 miles

Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both sides (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Oil leak, but not excessive hub oil seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 1 Sep 2025 66,666 miles

Nearside Rear Brake disc contaminated oil (1.1.14 (b))

Offside Rear Brake disc contaminated oil (1.1.14 (b))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both sides (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Oil leak, but not excessive hub oil seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Oil leak, but not excessive both sides - hub oil seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 8 Aug 2024 66,496 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Fail 8 Aug 2024 66,496 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Pass 8 Aug 2023 66,378 miles
Fail 8 Aug 2023 66,378 miles

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

Nearside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Nearside Rear Hydraulic brake calliper slightly damaged but function not impaired securing bolt spring washer - deteriorated (1.1.16 (a) (i))

Offside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 8 Aug 2022 65,712 miles
Pass 6 Aug 2021 65,248 miles
Pass 6 Aug 2016 62,569 miles

Offside Front Axle king pin has slight play in pin and/or bush (2.5.A.3a)

underbody corrosion

Fail 14 Jul 2016 62,373 miles

Fuel tank insecure (7.2.1)

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

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

Offside Front Axle king pin has slight play in pin and/or bush (2.5.A.3a)

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 3 Aug 2015 55,810 miles
Fail 31 Jul 2015 55,600 miles

Fuel tank leaking (7.2.3)

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 2 Mar 2015 55,745 miles

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

brake pipes corroded

couldnt inspect welding due to sealer

floor cross sections badly corroded and weak

fuel tank repaired with fibreaglss and wet

underbody and chassis corroded and weak

Fail 27 Feb 2015 55,740 miles

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

Offside Front Ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

brake pipes corroded

floor cross sections badly corroded and weak

fuel tank repaired with fibreaglss and wet

underbody and chassis corroded and weak

Fail 1 Aug 2013 50,722 miles

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Gearbox mounting defective

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

Nearside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Oil leak

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Play in prop-shaft centre bearing

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Prop-shaft flange bolt(s) loose/missing

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Pass 1 Aug 2013 50,722 miles

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Gearbox mounting defective

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

Nearside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Oil leak

Play in prop-shaft centre bearing

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Prop-shaft flange bolt(s) loose/missing

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Pass 21 Jun 2012 48,055 miles

Nearside Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

Oil leak

Pass 24 Jun 2011 46,342 miles

advise exstensive welding carried out

Pass 8 Nov 2007 45,697 miles

advise rear chassis condition and spring hanger/s oil leak

Pass 9 Nov 2006 42,704 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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C243 VPL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.9%.

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 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 C243 VPL, 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 C243 VPL?

You can check the full history of C243 VPL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C243 VPL registered?

C243 VPL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 10 April 1986.

Is C243 VPL safe to buy?

The MOT history for C243 VPL shows 21 tests with a 61.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C243 VPL 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 C243 VPL. 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.