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C285 VSH

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Jun 2027
Tests25 (17 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate68%

Mileage

159,075 mi
Last recorded159,075 miles
Recorded on5 Jun 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

RegistrationC285 VSH
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

17 pass 8 fail
Pass 5 Jun 2026 159,075 miles

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

Offside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Fail 22 Dec 2025 159,075 miles

Offside Rear Brake disc contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

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

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

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

Offside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Pass 27 Sep 2024 159,075 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2023 158,925 miles

steering box slight leak

Pass 8 Sep 2022 158,737 miles
Fail 24 Jun 2022 158,737 miles

Front Suspension rod insecurely attached (5.3.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside 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))

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

Offside Front Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Power steering component leaking steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Nearside Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 16 Apr 2021 157,636 miles

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

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

Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Apr 2019 157,561 miles
Pass 3 Mar 2018 157,161 miles
Pass 11 Feb 2017 156,612 miles
Pass 8 Jan 2015 155,415 miles

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

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Fail 8 Jan 2015 155,415 miles

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b)

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

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

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Pass 20 Dec 2013 151,971 miles
Fail 18 Dec 2013 151,953 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 23 Nov 2012 151,632 miles

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 9 Nov 2011 151,315 miles

nearside front metal brake pipe slightly corroded

offside front metal brake pipe slightly corroded

Pass 27 Nov 2010 150,477 miles
Pass 11 Nov 2009 148,614 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly damaged (3.6.B.2c)

brake pipes under sealed

corrosion in nearside rear chassis

evidence of offside front tyre fouling front axle tie bar

lateral movement at steering column

nearside rear tyre poor condition

wear in front axle tie bar bush on axle

Fail 11 Nov 2009 148,585 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Parking brake lever, pawl mechanism pivot(s) retaining device insecure (3.1.4b)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly damaged (3.6.B.2c)

brake pipes under sealed

corrosion in nearside rear chassis

evidence of offside front tyre fouling front axle tie bar

lateral movement at steering column

nearside rear tyre poor condition

wear in front axle tie bar bush on axle

Pass 17 Nov 2008 146,791 miles

movement in nearside front wheel bearing

Fail 11 Nov 2008 146,752 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

movement in nearside front wheel bearing

Pass 12 Nov 2007 145,107 miles

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

Fail 7 Nov 2007 144,964 miles

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

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

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

Pass 7 Dec 2006 140,265 miles

Nearside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Fail 30 Nov 2006 140,251 miles

Nearside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Power steering component(s) leaking from a failed seal (2.3.3b)

Nearside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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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C285 VSH is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68%.

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 C285 VSH, 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 C285 VSH?

You can check the full history of C285 VSH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C285 VSH registered?

C285 VSH is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 10 June 1986.

Is C285 VSH safe to buy?

The MOT history for C285 VSH shows 25 tests with a 68% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C285 VSH 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 C285 VSH. 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.