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C520 XRE

1986 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Feb 2027
Tests26 (18 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate69.2%

Mileage

129,663 mi
Last recorded129,663 miles
Recorded on17 Feb 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

RegistrationC520 XRE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourBlue
Fuel typeDiesel
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

18 pass 8 fail
Pass 17 Feb 2026 129,663 miles

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

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

Fail 16 Feb 2026 129,662 miles

Front Prop shaft joint excessively worn prop front joint U/J (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Fuel system component leaking (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Pass 28 Jan 2025 120,018 miles
Fail 27 Jan 2025 127,018 miles

Nearside Rear Brake disc contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 29 Jan 2024 125,706 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly damaged (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

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

Pass 17 Jan 2023 124,158 miles
Pass 9 Dec 2021 122,357 miles
Pass 20 Oct 2020 121,804 miles
Fail 18 Sep 2020 121,796 miles

Fuel system component leaking Injector pipe (6.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Nearside Front Hub oil seal

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

Offside Front Hub oil seal

Pass 25 Sep 2019 120,562 miles
Fail 13 Sep 2019 120,396 miles

Fluid leak harmful to the environment or a risk to other road users injector pump (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Brake disc contaminated hub oil seal leaking onto brake disc (1.1.14 (b))

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour likely to obscure the vision of other road users (8.2.2.2 (c)) DANGEROUS

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 13 Jul 2018 117,869 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases manifold lower joint (6.1.2 (a))

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both sides, to/on calipers (1.1.11 (c))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material to both wheels (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

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

all coil springs corroded

Fail 9 Jul 2018 117,869 miles

Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Position lamp switch does not illuminate the front and rear position lamps with a single operation (4.2.2 (a))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases manifold lower joint (6.1.2 (a))

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both sides, to/on calipers (1.1.11 (c))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material to both wheels (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

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

all coil springs corroded

Pass 26 Jan 2017 117,831 miles
Fail 25 Jan 2017 117,831 miles

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

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Front Windscreen wiper not operating automatically when switched on (8.2.1b)

Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement brakes (3.5.1k) DANGEROUS

Pass 5 Oct 2015 117,772 miles

play in steering

Fail 25 Sep 2015 117,772 miles

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

Nearside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Nearside Front brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

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

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

Offside Front brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

play in steering

Pass 26 Mar 2014 116,999 miles

Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Oil leak

Pass 19 Sep 2012 116,506 miles
Pass 10 Aug 2011 115,812 miles
Pass 13 Jul 2010 115,260 miles
Pass 9 Jul 2009 114,580 miles
Pass 9 Jul 2008 113,935 miles
Pass 10 Jul 2007 113,277 miles
Pass 12 Jul 2006 112,492 miles
Fail 12 Jul 2006 112,492 miles

Nearside Front Upper Front suspension has a loose unit in the upper support bearing assembly (2.5.B.3b)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (hotspot upper edge above the horizontal 0% line) (1.6.D1)

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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C520 XRE is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69.2%.

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 C520 XRE, 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 C520 XRE?

You can check the full history of C520 XRE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C520 XRE registered?

C520 XRE is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 2 May 1986.

Is C520 XRE safe to buy?

The MOT history for C520 XRE shows 26 tests with a 69.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C520 XRE 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 C520 XRE. 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.