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C281 HCV

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires21 Sep 2026
Tests20 (14 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

146,621 mi
Last recorded146,621 miles
Recorded on23 Sep 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC281 HCV
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

14 pass 6 fail
Fail 23 Sep 2026 146,621 miles

Central Front Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Obligatory mirror does not provide a view to the rear (3.3 (c))

Central Front Inner Suspension arm insecure and impairing directional stability (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Central Front Outer Suspension arm attachment bracket/mounting insecure and impairing directional stability (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 22 Sep 2025 142,610 miles

Front Suspension rod pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly damaged (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 13 Sep 2024 141,612 miles
Pass 19 Sep 2023 141,062 miles

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

Pass 17 Aug 2022 139,854 miles

Suspension rod pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement panard rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch

Pass 17 Aug 2020 138,744 miles

Coolant leak

Hazard warning lamps operated by more than one switch (4.4.2 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension rod pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement panard rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch

Fail 7 Aug 2020 138,744 miles

Front Prop shaft joint excessively worn (6.1.7 (c) (i))

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

Coolant leak

Hazard warning lamps operated by more than one switch (4.4.2 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension rod pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement panard rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Rear Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch

both front brake pipes fouling on full lock

Pass 17 Jan 2015 165,213 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Pass 13 Feb 2013 160,671 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Fail 13 Feb 2013 160,671 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

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

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Offside Front Body has a sharp edge caused by damage (6.1.C.1)

Offside Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Hazard warning lamps inoperative (1.4.B.1b)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 5 Mar 2012 154,007 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Oil leak

all tyres cracked

rear exhaust in poor condision

Fail 29 Feb 2012 154,007 miles

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

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

Offside Front Body has a sharp edge caused by damage (6.1.C.1)

Offside Front brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

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

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

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Oil leak

all tyres cracked

rear exhaust in poor condision

Pass 5 Apr 2011 148,806 miles

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 1 Apr 2010 145,959 miles

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

o/s/f and n/s/f hubs slight play

Pass 1 Apr 2009 145,286 miles

n/s/f slight play in hub

o/s/f slight play in hub

slight leak from steering box

slight play in 1st ball joint off the box

Fail 1 Apr 2009 145,286 miles

Offside Front Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

n/s/f slight play in hub

o/s/f slight play in hub

slight leak from steering box

slight play in 1st ball joint off the box

Pass 22 Apr 2008 128,513 miles
Fail 17 Apr 2008 128,502 miles

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

Offside Rear Lower Coil spring mounting corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.C.3c)

Pass 16 Apr 2007 123,814 miles
Pass 24 Apr 2006 110,088 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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C281 HCV is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

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 C281 HCV, 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 C281 HCV?

You can check the full history of C281 HCV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C281 HCV registered?

C281 HCV is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C281 HCV safe to buy?

The MOT history for C281 HCV shows 20 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C281 HCV 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 C281 HCV. 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.