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C297 YVU

1985 Land Rover Defender

Yellow Lpg 3928cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Feb 2027
Tests26 (21 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80.8%

Mileage

94,609 mi
Last recorded94,609 miles
Recorded on11 Feb 2026
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 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

RegistrationC297 YVU
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourYellow
Fuel typeLpg
Engine3,928cc

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

21 pass 5 fail
Pass 11 Feb 2026 94,609 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

Pass 5 Feb 2025 94,212 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

Pass 14 Feb 2024 93,642 miles

Front Both Front Swivel Seals Leaking

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

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

Pass 15 Feb 2023 93,385 miles

Brake pedal wearing smooth Bottom Edge (1.1.2 (c))

Front Axle Swivel Seal's Weeping Oil

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

Rear Axle Weeping Oil

Pass 14 Feb 2022 93,016 miles

Front Oil Weeping From Axle Ends

Offside Rear Axle Weeping oil

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

Pass 8 Feb 2021 92,163 miles

Front Front axle weeping oil

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

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

Pass 12 Feb 2020 91,533 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

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

Pass 14 Feb 2019 89,968 miles

Nearside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

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

Fail 14 Feb 2019 89,966 miles

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn Rose Bowl Seal Leaking (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn Rose Bowl Seal Leaking (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Brake disc contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

Nearside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

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

Pass 13 Feb 2018 88,495 miles

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Towball/hitch not fitted at time of test ()

Fail 13 Feb 2018 88,495 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Towball/hitch not fitted at time of test ()

Pass 17 Feb 2017 87,990 miles

Items removed from driver's view prior to test ()

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt ()

Towball/hitch not fitted at time of test ()

Fail 16 Feb 2017 87,990 miles

Central Rear Sub-frame ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt A frame (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Offside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Items removed from driver's view prior to test ()

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt ()

Towball/hitch not fitted at time of test ()

Pass 10 Feb 2016 87,408 miles
Pass 12 Feb 2015 86,807 miles
Fail 12 Feb 2015 86,800 miles

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content excessive (7.3.B.1b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 12 Feb 2014 86,512 miles
Pass 4 Feb 2013 85,623 miles
Pass 13 Feb 2012 85,181 miles

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Pass 14 Feb 2011 84,249 miles

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

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

Fail 16 Feb 2010 83,578 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Pass 16 Feb 2010 83,578 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Pass 16 Feb 2009 82,889 miles

near side front of front axle has a bracket gusset that is perforated with corrosion.

off side rear axle spring sadle has heavy corrosion.

Pass 16 Feb 2008 81,401 miles
Pass 22 Jan 2007 79,295 miles
Pass 7 Feb 2006 78,183 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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C297 YVU is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Yellow with a 3,928cc lpg engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80.8%.

Across all 1985 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.3% with a typical mileage of 122,807 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 C297 YVU, 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 41 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 C297 YVU?

You can check the full history of C297 YVU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C297 YVU registered?

C297 YVU is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 9 August 1985.

Is C297 YVU safe to buy?

The MOT history for C297 YVU shows 26 tests with a 80.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C297 YVU 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 C297 YVU. 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.