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C38 WVJ

1986 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires5 Jun 2026
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

140,342 mi
Last recorded140,342 miles
Recorded on6 Jun 2025
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationC38 WVJ
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourRed
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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 6 Jun 2025 140,342 miles

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Fail 2 Jun 2025 140,341 miles

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Fail 15 Nov 2024 140,336 miles

Bonnet primary retaining device insecure (3.1 (c))

Fluid leak harmful to the environment or a risk to other road users (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Rear Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 2 Nov 2023 139,842 miles

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure is fractured but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 8 Nov 2022 139,121 miles
Fail 4 Nov 2022 139,119 miles

Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Pass 11 Oct 2021 138,906 miles

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

Pass 22 Oct 2020 138,199 miles
Fail 11 Sep 2020 138,197 miles

Offside Front Floor excessively deteriorated (6.2.4 (a) (i))

Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Front Electrical wiring likely to touch hot or rotating parts (4.11 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 13 Aug 2019 137,570 miles
Fail 9 Aug 2019 137,570 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Trailing arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Electrical wiring inadequately secured under bonnet (4.11 (a) (i))

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

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

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Pass 4 Feb 2019 137,489 miles
Fail 30 Jan 2019 137,489 miles

Electrical wiring insecure and in contact with sharp edges under bonnet (4.11 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp light intensity significantly reduced obscured (4.5.4 (a))

Rear Registration plate missing (0.1 (a))

Pass 14 Jul 2018 136,910 miles

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

Nearside Front Position lamp light intensity obviously reduced (4.2.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Passenger seat(s) missing at time of test ()

Pass 4 Feb 2017 136,277 miles
Pass 17 Aug 2015 133,482 miles

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

power steering pump damp

slight play in steering drag link ball joint

Fail 15 Aug 2015 133,482 miles

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

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

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b)

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

power steering pump damp

slight play in steering drag link ball joint

Pass 2 Aug 2014 123,667 miles
Pass 6 Aug 2013 118,707 miles
Pass 10 Aug 2012 113,472 miles
Pass 6 Aug 2011 108,889 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2010 103,460 miles
Pass 15 Aug 2009 96,735 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2007 114,404 miles
Fail 13 Apr 2007 114,404 miles

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

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

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Offside Front Radius 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 Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 13 Apr 2006 111,266 miles
Fail 5 Apr 2006 111,111 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Offside Front Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.2.B.1a) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c) DANGEROUS

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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C38 WVJ is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 C38 WVJ, 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 C38 WVJ?

You can check the full history of C38 WVJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C38 WVJ registered?

C38 WVJ is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 February 1986.

Is C38 WVJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for C38 WVJ shows 27 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C38 WVJ 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 C38 WVJ. 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.