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C408 SDY

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Petrol 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires26 Feb 2027
Tests16 (13 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate81.3%

Mileage

129,891 mi
Last recorded129,891 miles
Recorded on25 Feb 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

RegistrationC408 SDY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
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

13 pass 3 fail
Pass 25 Feb 2026 129,891 miles

Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front pan rod arm bushes worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

Pass 10 Feb 2025 128,746 miles

Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front pan rod arm bush to axle worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 14 Feb 2024 127,280 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2023 125,765 miles
Pass 18 Feb 2022 123,973 miles
Pass 16 Feb 2021 122,103 miles

Front Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush Botha sides (5.3.2 (c))

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage From resavoir (2.1.5 (a))

Steering box has seepage Output shaft (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 17 Feb 2020 120,342 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2019 117,904 miles
Pass 24 Sep 2018 117,898 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2017 117,797 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2012 117,589 miles

Oil leak

Fail 3 Aug 2011 117,582 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Lower Steering column universal joint has excessive play (2.1.5)

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

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

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

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

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

Front and rear propshaft rear spider joint exessivly worn

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Front Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Front Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 25 Jan 2011 117,574 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

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

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

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

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

Offside Front Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (3.6.C.3)

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

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has an unsatisfactory modification, 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)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

Pass 13 Feb 2009 116,985 miles

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

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

Propshaft component defective

both front foot wells corroded.

corrosion to rear crossmember

Pass 7 Feb 2007 114,939 miles
Fail 30 Jan 2007 114,924 miles

Fuel tank leaking (7.2.3)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

corrosion to offside front floor/offside front shock mount and offside rear chassis.

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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C408 SDY is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 16 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 81.3%.

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 C408 SDY, 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 C408 SDY?

You can check the full history of C408 SDY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C408 SDY registered?

C408 SDY is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 25 October 1985.

Is C408 SDY safe to buy?

The MOT history for C408 SDY shows 16 tests with a 81.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C408 SDY 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 C408 SDY. 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.