CarVerify

Free Car Check

C505 JWL

1986 Land Rover Defender

Blue Petrol 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires31 May 2027
Tests22 (14 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate63.6%

Mileage

65,231 mi
Last recorded65,231 miles
Recorded on1 Jun 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

RegistrationC505 JWL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
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

14 pass 8 fail
Pass 1 Jun 2026 65,231 miles
Fail 14 May 2026 65,212 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure deep enough to reach cords (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Offside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure deep enough to reach the cord (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 18 Feb 2025 65,179 miles
Fail 24 Sep 2024 65,175 miles

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

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

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

Pass 27 Sep 2023 65,169 miles
Fail 27 Sep 2023 65,169 miles

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

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

Pass 30 Sep 2022 65,129 miles
Pass 7 Oct 2021 65,127 miles
Fail 28 Sep 2021 65,126 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose excessively chafed (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Brake hose excessively chafed (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Power steering component leaking steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 21 Aug 2020 65,032 miles
Fail 21 Aug 2020 65,032 miles

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Windscreen wiper not working (3.4 (a))

brakes binding

Pass 22 Sep 2017 62,128 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded brake pipe at nearside front and offside front brake calliper (3.6.B.2c)

Trailer electrical socket deteriorated but the lead can still be securely connected (1.9.3b)

Underside of vehicle heavily undersealed. Not allowing full inspection of components

Fail 18 Sep 2017 61,121 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle rear brake imbalance. 55% (3.7.B.5b)

Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate light output poor (1.1.C.1e)

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively nearside and offside (8.2.2)

rear brake application uneven n/s/r 192kgf. o/s/r 90kgf (3.7.B.2)

rear brake binding nearside (3.7.B.1)

Brake pipe slightly corroded brake pipe at nearside front and offside front brake calliper (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside rear chassis corroded next to tow bar mounting bracket. Non prescribed area as tow bar not fitted at time of test. Requires welding if tow bar is to be refitted

Tow bar not fitted at time of test

Trailer electrical socket deteriorated but the lead can still be securely connected (1.9.3b)

Underside of vehicle heavily undersealed. Not allowing full inspection of components

Pass 15 Aug 2017 62,002 miles

Oil leak Both Front Hubs

Oil leak Engine, Gearbox, Transfer Box

Fail 15 Aug 2017 62,002 miles

Oil leak Both Front Hubs

Oil leak Engine, Gearbox, Transfer Box

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively Both Front (8.2.2)

Pass 12 Apr 2014 61,727 miles

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

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

Fail 9 Aug 2011 61,654 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c) DANGEROUS

Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3) DANGEROUS

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

Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside inner track rod end joint cover split/missing

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

Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Spare tyre defective

Pass 18 Mar 2010 59,902 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2009 57,551 miles
Pass 15 Feb 2008 54,254 miles
Pass 13 Feb 2007 50,527 miles
Pass 3 Feb 2006 47,578 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

C505 JWL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63.6%.

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 C505 JWL, 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 C505 JWL?

You can check the full history of C505 JWL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C505 JWL registered?

C505 JWL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 7 July 1986.

Is C505 JWL safe to buy?

The MOT history for C505 JWL shows 22 tests with a 63.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C505 JWL 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 C505 JWL. 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.