CarVerify

Free Car Check

C490 FAH

1986 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2496cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 Mar 2027
Tests20 (14 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

100,004 mi
Last recorded100,004 miles
Recorded on25 Mar 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
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £14.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationC490 FAH
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

14 pass 6 fail
Pass 25 Mar 2026 100,004 miles

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

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

Offside Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Pass 15 Mar 2025 100,004 miles

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 2 Mar 2024 100,003 miles

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Fail 2 Mar 2024 100,003 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Rear Exhaust system insecure mounting snapped (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 24 Feb 2023 100,009 miles

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 24 Feb 2022 100,009 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Fail 24 Feb 2022 100,009 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Intermediate drop arm modified such that the steering is adversely affected drop arm nut loose (2.1.3 (f) (ii))

Pass 13 Feb 2021 100,007 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing corroded (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing corroded (5.3.2 (b))

slight power steering leak

Pass 7 Feb 2020 100,007 miles

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

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

play in rear a frame ball joint

Pass 7 Feb 2019 100,005 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

slight engine oil leak

Pass 13 Feb 2018 100,000 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Obligatory mirror damaged, but not seriously affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

Pass 11 Feb 2017 100,003 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Pass 5 Jan 2010 100,007 miles

Oil leak

offside rear hub oil seal leaking

Fail 4 Jan 2010 100,007 miles

Offside Rear coil spring cracked (2.4.C.1a)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Oil leak

offside rear hub oil seal leaking

Pass 7 Jan 2009 99,990 miles
Fail 6 Jan 2009 99,990 miles

Nearside Rear Parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.D.3a)

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

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

Pass 28 Jan 2008 98,113 miles
Fail 28 Jan 2008 98,110 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Front Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (8.4.1)

tail pipe damaged closed up

Pass 11 Jan 2007 98,100 miles
Fail 18 Oct 2006 98,100 miles

Front registration plate letter/figure missing (6.3.1c)

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Front Upper Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

C490 FAH is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

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 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 C490 FAH, 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 C490 FAH?

You can check the full history of C490 FAH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C490 FAH registered?

C490 FAH is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C490 FAH safe to buy?

The MOT history for C490 FAH shows 20 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C490 FAH 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 C490 FAH. 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.