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C388 LUX

1986 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires26 Aug 2027
Tests19 (12 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate63.2%

Mileage

146,381 mi
Last recorded146,381 miles
Recorded on5 Aug 2026
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Above 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 LUX
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourBlack
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

12 pass 7 fail
Pass 5 Aug 2026 146,381 miles

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

Pass 6 Aug 2025 144,951 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear brake pipes (1.1.11 (c))

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

Pass 8 Aug 2024 143,720 miles

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

Pass 23 Aug 2023 142,336 miles

Central slight oil leak from gearbox

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear slight oil leak from hub seal

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

chassis slightly corroded but not dangerous

Fail 17 Aug 2023 142,336 miles

Nearside Front Steering arm deformed steering arm bent (2.1.3 (c) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Central slight oil leak from gearbox

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear slight oil leak from hub seal

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

chassis slightly corroded but not dangerous

Pass 22 Aug 2022 141,761 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive g/box and transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 19 Aug 2022 141,758 miles

Nearside Rear Hydraulic brake cylinder leaking hydraulic fluid (1.1.16 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive g/box and transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 13 Aug 2021 140,692 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Fail 10 Aug 2021 140,686 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength shock absorber mount (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength shock absorber mount (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Rear fog lamp switch not operating in accordance with the requirements (4.5.3 (a))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Front Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 27 Aug 2020 140,009 miles

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

battery carrier corroded. unable to inspect security without dismantling seat

front swivels leaking

wiper linkage / pivots worn

Fail 25 Aug 2020 140,009 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

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

battery carrier corroded. unable to inspect security without dismantling seat

front swivels leaking

wiper linkage / pivots worn

Pass 11 Jul 2014 139,720 miles
Fail 10 Jul 2014 139,720 miles

Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Front registration plate obscured (6.3.1d)

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

Nearside Front Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Front Track rod end loose (2.2.B.1d)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear registration plate obscured (6.3.1d)

all 4 tyres cracking

Pass 17 Dec 2012 137,313 miles

front floor/ footwell area corroded both sides

o/s door pins worn

Pass 2 Dec 2011 136,669 miles
Pass 12 Feb 2010 135,184 miles
Fail 4 Feb 2010 135,168 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (3.3.A.1b)

Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front front brake juddering severely (3.7.A.2b)

Offside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

Offside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

advise clutch pedal sticking

Pass 1 Nov 2006 134,174 miles
Fail 26 Oct 2006 134,171 miles

Centre Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Steering box has relative movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.2.B.1b)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp excessively damaged so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

front propshaft u joint worn

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 LUX is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63.2%.

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 C388 LUX, 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 C388 LUX?

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

What year was C388 LUX registered?

C388 LUX is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C388 LUX safe to buy?

The MOT history for C388 LUX shows 19 tests with a 63.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C388 LUX 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 LUX. 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.