CarVerify

Free Car Check

C500 VPA

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Petrol 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 Oct 2026
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

109,967 mi
Last recorded109,967 miles
Recorded on30 Oct 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 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 £9.99

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

RegistrationC500 VPA
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,495cc

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

20 pass 5 fail
Pass 30 Oct 2025 109,967 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing All 4 tyres perishing in tread (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 31 Jul 2025 109,927 miles

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure is fractured and so weakened within 30cm of a towbar mounting, the towbar is likely to become detached (6.1.6 (i) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Steering component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected (2.1.2 (e) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Vehicle structure is so weakened by damage within 30cm of a towbar mounting, the towbar is likely to become detached (6.1.6 (i) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 31 Jul 2024 109,537 miles
Pass 27 Jul 2023 109,173 miles

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

Pass 27 Jul 2022 108,604 miles
Pass 26 Jul 2021 108,173 miles

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

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

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

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Aug 2020 107,606 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 9 Sep 2019 107,140 miles

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

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

Nearside rear brake drum damp

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

Pass 25 Sep 2018 106,301 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2017 105,333 miles

oil leaks

Pass 6 Aug 2016 103,976 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both rusty inside edges (3.5.1i)

Oil leak

Fail 1 Aug 2016 103,898 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both rusty inside edges (3.5.1i)

Oil leak

Pass 17 Aug 2015 102,832 miles

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

oil leak

Fail 17 Aug 2015 102,832 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

oil leak

Pass 18 Aug 2014 101,760 miles

Oil leak

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

exhaust system rusty

slight play nearside front wheel bearing

Pass 14 Aug 2013 100,018 miles

centre and rear chassis corroded.

exhaust corroded.

Pass 21 Aug 2012 99,966 miles

Oil leak

advanced rust to chassis

slight play to nearside and offside front hubs

Pass 25 Aug 2011 99,872 miles

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

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

offside centre crossmember corroded.

Fail 21 Jun 2010 99,038 miles

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

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

Fuel cap/sealing device sealing washer missing (7.2.4c)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

centre croosmember corroded offside.

Pass 21 Jun 2010 99,038 miles

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

centre croosmember corroded offside.

Pass 8 Jul 2009 98,811 miles

Centre Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 8 Jul 2009 98,811 miles

Centre Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 19 May 2008 97,690 miles
Pass 23 May 2007 97,420 miles
Pass 9 May 2006 96,369 miles

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

C500 VPA is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

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 C500 VPA, 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 C500 VPA?

You can check the full history of C500 VPA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C500 VPA registered?

C500 VPA is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1985.

Is C500 VPA safe to buy?

The MOT history for C500 VPA shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C500 VPA 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 C500 VPA. 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.