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C296 RFL

1986 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 Oct 2026
Tests17 (11 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate64.7%

Mileage

120,204 mi
Last recorded120,204 miles
Recorded on8 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

RegistrationC296 RFL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGrey
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

11 pass 6 fail
Pass 8 Oct 2025 120,204 miles

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

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

Pass 2 Oct 2024 117,453 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Steering dampener worn.

Pass 27 Sep 2023 114,007 miles

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

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

Steering dampener worn.

Fail 27 Sep 2023 114,007 miles

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

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

Steering dampener worn.

Pass 30 Sep 2022 110,770 miles

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

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

Pass 8 Sep 2021 107,820 miles

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

Offside Front Brake disc back missing

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

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

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Steering box drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Fail 8 Sep 2021 107,820 miles

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

Offside Front Brake disc back missing

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

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

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

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Steering box drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 16 Sep 2020 104,685 miles

Nearside Headlamp pre- focus

Offside Headlamp halogen

Pass 4 Sep 2019 101,112 miles
Fail 4 Sep 2019 101,112 miles

Front Registration plate inscription illegible (0.1 (b))

Fail 27 Aug 2019 101,079 miles

Nearside Front Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting Body Mounting corroded (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

Offside Front Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting Body Mounting corroded (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

Offside Rear Brake lining(s) contaminated Hub seal is leaking (1.1.13 (b))

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

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 21 Dec 2015 100,916 miles
Fail 9 Dec 2015 100,916 miles

Nearside Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) leaking from a joint (2.3.3b)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed 205/80/16 (4.1.D.1b)

Pass 2 Dec 2014 99,674 miles

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

Pass 4 Dec 2013 97,794 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 5 Dec 2012 95,502 miles
Fail 5 Dec 2012 95,502 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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C296 RFL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.7%.

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 C296 RFL, 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 C296 RFL?

You can check the full history of C296 RFL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C296 RFL registered?

C296 RFL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 18 April 1986.

Is C296 RFL safe to buy?

The MOT history for C296 RFL shows 17 tests with a 64.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C296 RFL 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 C296 RFL. 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.