CarVerify

Free Car Check

C522 HBV

1985 Land Rover Defender

Multi-colour Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Nov 2026
Tests20 (17 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate85%

Mileage

185,041 mi
Last recorded185,041 miles
Recorded on19 Nov 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationC522 HBV
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourMulti-colour
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

17 pass 3 fail
Pass 19 Nov 2025 185,041 miles
Pass 12 Nov 2024 182,369 miles

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

Pass 24 Nov 2023 176,547 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive strut tower (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive strut tower (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

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

Fail 17 Nov 2023 176,538 miles

Central Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Intermediate drop arm insecure loose on steering box (2.1.3 (a) (i))

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

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

Nearside Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drag link to hub ball joint (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded on axle, to caliper (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush upper and lower (5.3.2 (c))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

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

Central Exhaust mounting defective clamp broken (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive strut tower (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive strut tower (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

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

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

Pass 23 Oct 2020 150,870 miles
Pass 22 Oct 2019 148,351 miles
Pass 30 Oct 2018 146,195 miles
Pass 16 Nov 2017 142,684 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Oil leak ()

Pass 31 Oct 2016 139,483 miles

vehicle undersealed

Pass 21 Nov 2015 135,756 miles

chassis undersealed

oil leak

Pass 3 Jul 2014 131,223 miles

DRAG LINK END RUBBER BOOT TWISTED.

DRIVERS SEAT BELT WORN.

REAR SHOCK ABSORBER RUBBER MOUNTINGS WORN.

Fail 3 Jul 2014 131,223 miles

DRAG LINK END RUBBER BOOT TWISTED.

DRIVERS SEAT BELT WORN.

Offside Front Body insecure and dangerous to other road users (6.1.B.1b)

REAR SHOCK ABSORBER RUBBER MOUNTINGS WORN.

Steering column shaft retaining device insecure (2.1.6)

Pass 24 Jul 2013 123,721 miles

Oil leak

rear diff leaking

Pass 6 Jun 2012 111,330 miles
Pass 21 Jun 2011 98,913 miles
Pass 17 Jun 2010 85,529 miles
Fail 1 Jun 2010 85,525 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1a)

Pass 25 Jun 2009 81,095 miles

rear brake pipes slightly corroded

Pass 2 Jun 2008 79,882 miles

slight blow on exhaust

slight play in offside front wheel bearing

slight play in offside rear wheel bearing

Pass 10 May 2006 72,534 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

C522 HBV is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Multi-colour with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 85%.

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 C522 HBV, 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 C522 HBV?

You can check the full history of C522 HBV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C522 HBV registered?

C522 HBV is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 30 September 1985.

Is C522 HBV safe to buy?

The MOT history for C522 HBV shows 20 tests with a 85% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C522 HBV 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 C522 HBV. 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.