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C385 OVW

1985 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires11 Mar 2026
Tests13 (8 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate61.5%

Mileage

235,492 mi
Last recorded235,492 miles
Recorded on12 Mar 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC385 OVW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
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

8 pass 5 fail
Pass 12 Mar 2025 235,492 miles

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

Underside of vehicle corroded but not excessively

Pass 31 Jul 2024 235,248 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Floor section corroded. Repair sections partially visible on inside of vehicle

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

Nearside Rear Position lamp slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Nearside Stop lamp(s) slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (4.3.3 (b))

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Floor section corroded.Repair sections partially visible on inside of vehicle

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Spare wheel not present at tine of test

Pass 29 Oct 2019 234,790 miles

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

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

Front footwells corroded but repaired on inside n/s and o/s

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play A frame ball joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

parking brake close to max travel

Fail 14 Oct 2019 234,788 miles

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid level significantly below minimum level (1.1.10 (d) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

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

Front n/s and o/s footwells corroded on underside but repaired on inside

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

Nearside Rear hub has some seepage

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play A frame (5.3.4 (a) (i))

parking b rake close to max travel

Pass 2 Oct 2018 229,590 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Fail 2 Oct 2018 229,590 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Fail 10 Jul 2018 229,508 miles

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Fuel pipe union leaking excessively or a risk of fire fuel pump (6.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 21 Jun 2017 227,321 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Front Ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt Drop arm ball joint (2.2.C.1c)

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

Pass 1 Jul 2016 225,916 miles

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

Fail 29 Jun 2016 225,916 miles

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

Offside Front Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Offside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Pass 17 Jul 2015 224,156 miles
Pass 15 Jul 2014 223,949 miles

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

Oil leak

Fail 4 Jul 2014 223,949 miles

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

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively chafed (3.6.B.2c)

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

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching by more than 10mm within zone 'A' (8.3.1b)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b) DANGEROUS

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

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

Oil leak

Underside of the vehicle showing signs of corrosion

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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C385 OVW is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 13 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.5%.

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 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 C385 OVW, 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 C385 OVW?

You can check the full history of C385 OVW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C385 OVW registered?

C385 OVW is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1985.

Is C385 OVW safe to buy?

The MOT history for C385 OVW shows 13 tests with a 61.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C385 OVW 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 C385 OVW. 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.