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C388 BFB

1985 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 May 2027
Tests22 (16 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate72.7%

Mileage

131,059 mi
Last recorded131,059 miles
Recorded on19 May 2026
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC388 BFB
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,496cc

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 6 fail
Pass 19 May 2026 131,059 miles
Pass 23 May 2025 129,699 miles
Pass 22 May 2024 128,801 miles
Pass 24 May 2023 127,213 miles
Pass 30 May 2022 126,251 miles
Pass 25 May 2021 125,378 miles
Pass 15 May 2015 124,169 miles

Front Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Fail 5 May 2015 124,158 miles

Centre Rear Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a ball joint (2.5.A.3b)

Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Steering pivot point has excessive play (2.2.B.1g)

Offside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

Front Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 17 Apr 2014 121,587 miles

Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

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

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Fail 7 Apr 2014 121,528 miles

Nearside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

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

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Pass 20 Mar 2013 117,773 miles
Fail 15 Mar 2013 117,708 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 27 Mar 2012 115,632 miles

Offside Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.B.2)

nearside front and rear bump stop missing

Fail 21 Mar 2012 115,619 miles

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.B.2)

nearside front and rear bump stop missing

Pass 17 Mar 2011 113,658 miles
Pass 12 Mar 2010 111,640 miles
Pass 11 Mar 2009 109,803 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2008 108,360 miles
Fail 11 Feb 2008 108,342 miles

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

Nearside Front Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front Wheel nut(s) loose (4.2.A.1e)

Offside Rear Fuel pipe union leaking (7.2.3)

Rear Registration plate lamp not fitted (1.1.C.1b)

Pass 26 Feb 2007 107,468 miles
Fail 2 Feb 2007 107,468 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Front registration plate letter/figure missing (6.3.1c)

Nearside Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Rear wheel cylinder leaking (3.6.A.1)

Offside Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Parking brake is not capable of being maintained in operation by direct mechanical action only (3.1.2)

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

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

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

front diff flange seal leaking

Pass 14 Feb 2006 105,715 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside 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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C388 BFB is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.7%.

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 C388 BFB, 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 C388 BFB?

You can check the full history of C388 BFB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C388 BFB registered?

C388 BFB is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1985.

Is C388 BFB safe to buy?

The MOT history for C388 BFB shows 22 tests with a 72.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C388 BFB 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 C388 BFB. 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.