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C453 VJL

1986 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 Sep 2027
Tests28 (18 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate64.3%

Mileage

79,512 mi
Last recorded79,512 miles
Recorded on25 Sep 2026
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationC453 VJL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGrey
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 10 fail
Pass 25 Sep 2026 79,512 miles

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

Fail 23 Sep 2026 79,472 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

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

Pass 5 Mar 2025 79,300 miles

Central Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Front Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush nearside and offside bottom bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

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

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

Fail 4 Mar 2025 79,293 miles

Driver's door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm ball joint ball joint dust cover (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Central Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Front Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush nearside and offside bottom bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

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

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

Pass 7 Jul 2023 79,055 miles

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

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

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

Pass 10 Jun 2022 78,932 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing badly perished due to age of tyre (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 8 Jun 2022 78,926 miles

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

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

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm joint (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play drop arm joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Coolant leak

Front Inner Brake pad(s) wearing thin nearside and offside (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Front Service brake binding but not excessively nearside and offside (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing badly perished due to age of tyre (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 11 Feb 2021 78,478 miles

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

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

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

Rear fog lamp lens defective which has no effect on emitted light Lens (4.5.1 (b) (i))

Steering linkage ball joint has slight play Drop arm ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 11 Feb 2021 78,476 miles

Brake performance not tested Road conditions, vehicle constant 4wd (1.2.1 (g))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

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

Rear fog lamp lens defective which has no effect on emitted light Lens (4.5.1 (b) (i))

Steering linkage ball joint has slight play Drop arm ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 15 Apr 2019 77,664 miles

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

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

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

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

Rear fog lamp lens defective which has no effect on emitted light lense faded (4.5.1 (b) (i))

Fail 10 Apr 2019 77,661 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

Power steering inoperative (2.1.5 (c) (i))

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))

Offside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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

Rear fog lamp lens defective which has no effect on emitted light lense faded (4.5.1 (b) (i))

Pass 24 Oct 2017 77,060 miles

Ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt steering drop arm (2.2.C.1c)

Front Inner Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear tyre deteriorated and age cracked

Steering damper bushes worn

Steering damper slight oil seepage (2.2.C.1f)

Pass 27 Oct 2016 76,570 miles

Offside Rear tyre badly age cracked and deteriorated

Rear fog lamp deteriorated, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

Pass 21 Oct 2015 76,128 miles

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

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

Fail 20 Oct 2015 76,117 miles

Ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt steering drop arm (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Power steering pump drive system defective when steering in lock (2.3.6)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

Pass 7 Aug 2014 75,109 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

nearside rear tyre bacly age cracked

steering damper bushs worn

Pass 19 Jul 2013 74,065 miles

Both front tyres and offside rear tyre deteriorated

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Steering damper mounting bush worn

Pass 31 May 2012 73,107 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Rear fog lamp slightly discoloured (1.3.2e)

nearside front tyre deteriorated

offside front tyre deteriorated and worn on inner edge

offside rear tyre badly deteriorated and has cuts in tread

Fail 29 May 2012 73,095 miles

Ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Rear Coil spring mounting corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.C.3c)

Offside Axle swivel joint has excessive movement between a swivel joint and its housing (2.5.A.1b)

Offside Front Valve stem seriously damaged (4.1.D.1e)

Offside Rear Coil spring mounting corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.C.3c)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Rear fog lamp slightly discoloured (1.3.2e)

nearside front tyre deteriorated

offside front tyre deteriorated and worn on inner edge

offside rear tyre badly deteriorated and has cuts in tread

Pass 20 May 2011 71,872 miles

Nearside Outer Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Fail 18 May 2011 71,861 miles

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

Nearside Rear Service brake grabbing severely (3.7.C.2)

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

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

Pass 6 May 2010 70,878 miles
Pass 27 Apr 2009 68,589 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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

Fail 23 Apr 2009 68,578 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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

Propshaft component defective

Pass 18 Apr 2008 66,068 miles
Pass 4 May 2007 64,353 miles
Pass 10 May 2006 62,271 miles
Fail 9 May 2006 62,271 miles

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

Offside Rear fog lamp slightly discoloured (1.3.2e)

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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C453 VJL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.3%.

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 C453 VJL, 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 C453 VJL?

You can check the full history of C453 VJL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C453 VJL registered?

C453 VJL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 11 April 1986.

Is C453 VJL safe to buy?

The MOT history for C453 VJL shows 28 tests with a 64.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C453 VJL 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 C453 VJL. 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.