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C539 LJW

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Apr 2027
Tests28 (22 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate78.6%

Mileage

327,537 mi
Last recorded327,537 miles
Recorded on9 Mar 2026
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC539 LJW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGreen
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

22 pass 6 fail
Pass 9 Mar 2026 327,537 miles

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush shaft slight play (5.3.2 (c))

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm gator deteriorated (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 28 Mar 2025 322,746 miles
Fail 28 Mar 2025 322,746 miles

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

Fail 27 Mar 2025 322,746 miles

Brake lever has insufficient reserve travel (1.1.2 (a))

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

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Service brake lagging in operation (1.2.1 (d))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 22 Mar 2024 317,149 miles

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

Pass 22 Mar 2023 312,189 miles
Pass 2 Apr 2022 308,912 miles

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

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

Pass 9 Mar 2021 302,197 miles

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

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

Pass 4 Mar 2020 296,382 miles

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

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

Pass 20 Mar 2019 288,846 miles

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

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

Offside Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 15 Mar 2018 280,338 miles

Offside Front seatbelt has tape wrapped around

Pass 27 Mar 2017 273,641 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2016 265,992 miles

Body has slight corrosion under side floor covers (6.1.B.2)

Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced both front (1.7.5a)

registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread front and rear (6.3.1d)

Fail 30 Mar 2016 265,988 miles

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a swivel pin lower (2.5.A.3b) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c) DANGEROUS

Steering column movement between the shaft and steering wheel lower uj joint (2.1.2b) DANGEROUS

Body has slight corrosion under side floor covers (6.1.B.2)

Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced both front (1.7.5a)

registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread front and rear (6.3.1d)

Pass 9 Nov 2015 264,323 miles

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

Slight play in front prop shaft uj

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

slight play in rear prop shaft uj

Pass 12 Nov 2014 256,936 miles

Nearside Front Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

Offside Front Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

Offside Front position lamp(s) deteriorated, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Rear fog lamp deteriorated, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

Service brake juddering slightly (3.7.C.2)

Pass 16 Nov 2013 248,033 miles

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

under body corrosion slight at time of test

Pass 17 Nov 2012 240,780 miles

Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 5 Nov 2011 234,808 miles

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

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

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 15 Nov 2010 228,996 miles
Pass 19 Oct 2009 222,778 miles
Fail 19 Oct 2009 222,778 miles

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Offside Stop lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.2.1f)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 17 Nov 2008 222,019 miles
Fail 12 Nov 2008 222,019 miles

Nearside Front brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Front brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 14 Sep 2007 214,208 miles

Lower Steering column universal joint has slight play (2.1.5)

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Fail 14 Sep 2007 214,208 miles

Lower Steering column universal joint has slight play (2.1.5)

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Pass 2 Sep 2006 207,203 miles
Pass 31 Aug 2005 199,350 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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C539 LJW is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 78.6%.

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 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 C539 LJW, 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 C539 LJW?

You can check the full history of C539 LJW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C539 LJW registered?

C539 LJW is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 July 1986.

Is C539 LJW safe to buy?

The MOT history for C539 LJW shows 28 tests with a 78.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C539 LJW 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 C539 LJW. 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.