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C53 LEJ

1985 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires10 Apr 2026
Tests25 (15 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

156,397 mi
Last recorded156,397 miles
Recorded on11 Apr 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC53 LEJ
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourGrey
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,496cc

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

15 pass 10 fail
Pass 11 Apr 2025 156,397 miles

Engine oil low

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

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

Fail 2 Apr 2025 156,325 miles

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

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

Engine oil low

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

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

Pass 15 Mar 2024 155,969 miles
Pass 3 Mar 2023 155,608 miles

Engine oil requires top up

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security near upper shock attachment (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

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

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

Fail 3 Mar 2023 155,608 miles

Driver's door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle Door locks itself whenever it is shut (6.2.3 (a))

Engine oil requires top up

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security near upper shock attachment (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

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

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

Pass 3 Nov 2021 155,432 miles

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

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

Fail 3 Nov 2021 155,432 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

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

Pass 25 Jun 2020 154,156 miles

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 24 Jun 2020 154,155 miles

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

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 20 May 2020 154,154 miles

Front Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced crossmember near winch (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced chassis rail holed near suspension mount (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced chassis rail holed (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 25 Mar 2019 153,281 miles

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

Exhaust mountings temporary repair

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

Fail 15 Mar 2019 153,265 miles

Exhaust system insecure (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

Drag link end ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment (2.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

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

Pass 19 Jan 2018 149,123 miles

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch ()

Pass 20 Jan 2017 148,798 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 11 Dec 2015 142,227 miles
Pass 8 Nov 2014 130,907 miles
Pass 14 Nov 2013 121,642 miles
Pass 11 Jul 2012 120,673 miles

off side front floor corroded. near side front floor holed and corroded. main beam flash inop.

Fail 11 Jul 2012 120,673 miles

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

off side front floor corroded. near side front floor holed and corroded. main beam flash inop.

Pass 2 Sep 2011 114,238 miles

advise handbrake(prop brake) slightly binding

Fail 2 Sep 2011 114,238 miles

Front Horn not working (1.6.2a)

advise handbrake(prop brake) slightly binding

Pass 31 Aug 2010 105,085 miles
Fail 7 Jul 2010 105,046 miles

Lower Steering pivot point has excessive play (2.2.B.1g)

Offside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Fail 14 Jul 2009 98,087 miles

Nearside Direction indicators flashing more than 120 times a minute (1.4.A.2g)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Direction indicators flashing more than 120 times a minute (1.4.A.2g)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 14 Jul 2009 98,087 miles

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

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

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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C53 LEJ is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

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 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 C53 LEJ, 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 C53 LEJ?

You can check the full history of C53 LEJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C53 LEJ registered?

C53 LEJ is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 8 August 1985.

Is C53 LEJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for C53 LEJ shows 25 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C53 LEJ 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 C53 LEJ. 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.