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C537 XRT

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2500cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires28 Aug 2026
Tests16 (10 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate62.5%

Mileage

186,011 mi
Last recorded186,011 miles
Recorded on29 Aug 2025
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC537 XRT
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,500cc

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

10 pass 6 fail
Pass 29 Aug 2025 186,011 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

Fail 7 Aug 2025 186,006 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (7.1.2 (e))

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (7.1.2 (e))

Offside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Passenger's seat insecure (6.2.6 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Pass 2 May 2024 184,800 miles

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

Fail 29 Apr 2024 184,784 miles

Central Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded both in wheel arch (1.1.11 (c))

Rear Exhaust system insecure (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

Pass 4 Jun 2022 174,731 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive oil cooler pipe (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 25 May 2022 174,706 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Rear Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements Color incorrect no black after 01/01/1978 (0.1 (d))

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))

Nearside Seat belt likely to become detached in the event of a collision (7.1.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Oil leak, but not excessive oil cooler pipe (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Apr 2021 157,853 miles
Fail 21 Apr 2021 157,838 miles

Offside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (7.1.2 (e))

Steering box drop arm likely to become detached Drop arm loose on steering box (2.1.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Reversing lamp inoperative

Fail 19 Nov 2020 157,767 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases Rear box incompleat (6.1.2 (a))

Exhaust system insecure (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Nearside Rear Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements Colour incorrect no black after 01/01/1978 (0.1 (d))

Offside Front Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Rear diff pinion oil seal incorrectly fitted

Lights fitted to roof of vehicle insecure n/s/r o/s/r

Pass 18 Apr 2019 155,323 miles

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

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

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

Pass 1 Sep 2017 155,323 miles

Front grill insecure

Gearbox oil cooler pipe touching exhaust

New Exhaust brackets weak but secure enough at time of test

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 22 Aug 2017 155,323 miles

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

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Front registration plate obscured (6.3.1d)

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Headlamp aim not tested (1.8.A.1c)

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover missing (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Passenger's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

Rear fog lamp switch missing (1.3.1a)

Front grill insecure

Gearbox oil cooler pipe touching exhaust

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 6 Jul 2016 151,960 miles
Pass 4 Jul 2015 150,750 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2014 150,621 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2012 148,148 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

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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.

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C537 XRT is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 16 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.5%.

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 C537 XRT, 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 C537 XRT?

You can check the full history of C537 XRT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C537 XRT registered?

C537 XRT is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C537 XRT safe to buy?

The MOT history for C537 XRT shows 16 tests with a 62.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C537 XRT 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 C537 XRT. 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.