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C311 SFE

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2500cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Dec 2026
Tests25 (16 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate64%

Mileage

59,950 mi
Last recorded59,950 miles
Recorded on29 Nov 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC311 SFE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,500cc

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

16 pass 9 fail
Pass 29 Nov 2025 59,950 miles
Pass 20 Dec 2024 52,460 miles
Pass 11 Dec 2023 44,915 miles

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

Rear Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Fail 11 Dec 2023 44,915 miles

Nearside Front Lower Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

Nearside Front Outer Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Lower Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play Drop arm ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Outer Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Rear Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 16 Dec 2022 44,129 miles

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

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

Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 17 Dec 2021 41,696 miles

Handbrake lever nearing limit of travel

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Headlamp reflector slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Fail 17 Dec 2021 41,696 miles

Handbrake lever nearing limit of travel

Nearside Rear reflector missing (4.8.2 (a) (ii))

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Headlamp reflector slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 5 Dec 2020 39,875 miles
Pass 14 Dec 2019 37,722 miles
Pass 11 Dec 2018 36,922 miles
Fail 11 Dec 2018 36,922 miles

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Steering linkage ball joint has slight play drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 9 Dec 2017 32,335 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Slight misting from drive shaft seal

Oil leak ()

Pass 28 Nov 2016 28,686 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded axle pipe feed to cylinder (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Fail 28 Nov 2016 28,686 miles

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play also leaking oil (2.6.2)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded axle pipe feed to cylinder (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 21 Nov 2015 24,782 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Front Ball joint has slight play first ball joint from steering box (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear oil leaking from axle

coil spring corroded all (2.4.C.1b)

Fail 20 Nov 2015 24,780 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Nearside Headlamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp high beam turns off nearside light (1.7.5c)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Front Ball joint has slight play first ball joint from steering box (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear oil leaking from axle

coil spring corroded all (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 7 Nov 2014 20,571 miles

Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Fail 6 Nov 2014 20,571 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 4 Dec 2013 17,274 miles
Pass 27 Nov 2012 13,505 miles
Fail 26 Nov 2012 13,505 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Pass 16 Nov 2011 8,205 miles
Fail 15 Nov 2011 8,169 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Pass 3 Jun 2010 1,365 miles
Fail 3 Jun 2010 1,365 miles

Nearside Side repeater missing (1.4.A.2b)

Offside Front Brake hose twisted (found during steering lock to lock check) (2.2.D.2b)

Offside Side repeater missing (1.4.A.2b)

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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C311 SFE is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64%.

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 C311 SFE, 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 C311 SFE?

You can check the full history of C311 SFE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C311 SFE registered?

C311 SFE is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C311 SFE safe to buy?

The MOT history for C311 SFE shows 25 tests with a 64% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C311 SFE 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 C311 SFE. 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.