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C253 DNW

1986 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Oct 2026
Tests24 (17 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate70.8%

Mileage

127,520 mi
Last recorded127,520 miles
Recorded on21 Oct 2025
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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC253 DNW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourBlue
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,496cc

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

17 pass 7 fail
Pass 21 Oct 2025 127,520 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both nearside/offside (1.1.11 (c))

Front Coil spring corroded Both nearside/offside (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both nearside/offside (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Power steering pump has slight seepage pipes (2.1.5 (a))

Offside Vehicle structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security Central on top of chassis/Marked with yellow chalk (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Fail 15 Oct 2025 127,499 miles

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting Central mount/marked with yellow chalk (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Nearside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside Vehicle structure inadequately repaired such that structural rigidity is significantly reduced Central mount/marked with yellow chalk (6.1.1 (d) (i))

Fuel hose leaking excessively or a risk of fire Injector fuel return pipes (6.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both nearside/offside (1.1.11 (c))

Front Coil spring corroded Both nearside/offside (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both nearside/offside (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Power steering pump has slight seepage pipes (2.1.5 (a))

Offside Vehicle structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security Central on top of chassis/Marked with yellow chalk (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Fail 23 Mar 2024 127,463 miles

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

Fuel system component leaking excessively or a risk of fire Fuel Pump (6.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Brake hose connection leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.12 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 31 Dec 2021 125,379 miles

Nearside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Fail 30 Dec 2021 125,366 miles

Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 30 Oct 2020 125,047 miles

Nearside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 27 Oct 2020 125,034 miles

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

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Spring mount (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Rear Registration plate inscription illegible (0.1 (b))

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

Nearside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 3 Aug 2019 124,368 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

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

Fail 3 Aug 2019 124,368 miles

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

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

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

Windscreen wiper not working (3.4 (a))

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

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

Pass 5 Dec 2017 124,265 miles

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

Fail 28 Nov 2017 124,233 miles

Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

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

Pass 16 Nov 2016 123,710 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2015 122,212 miles

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

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint A frame ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 24 Nov 2014 120,312 miles
Pass 27 Nov 2013 115,082 miles

Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 21 Nov 2012 111,864 miles

alternator lower bracket bolts loose

offside front brake binding very slightly when inspected on thg ramp

Fail 26 Nov 2011 110,041 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.2.1f)

Pass 26 Nov 2011 110,041 miles
Pass 26 Nov 2010 10,666 miles

power steering box weeping fliud

rear cross member corroding and the offside front cross member corroding

Pass 24 Nov 2009 105,753 miles

Non obligatory mirror damaged

Pass 14 Nov 2008 104,721 miles

Non obligatory mirror damaged

Pass 22 Nov 2007 103,753 miles

Non obligatory mirror damaged

Pass 29 Nov 2006 102,425 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2005 100,785 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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C253 DNW is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.8%.

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 C253 DNW, 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 C253 DNW?

You can check the full history of C253 DNW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C253 DNW registered?

C253 DNW is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 17 March 1986.

Is C253 DNW safe to buy?

The MOT history for C253 DNW shows 24 tests with a 70.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C253 DNW 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 C253 DNW. 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.