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C550 FAH

1985 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires13 Aug 2026
Tests25 (17 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate68%

Mileage

173,387 mi
Last recorded173,387 miles
Recorded on13 Aug 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationC550 FAH
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourGreen
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

17 pass 8 fail
Pass 13 Aug 2025 173,387 miles

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Rear Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 12 Aug 2024 172,351 miles

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt To steering box arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play To steering box arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 7 Aug 2023 168,729 miles

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Pass 9 Aug 2022 167,270 miles

Front Wipers/ Washers poor

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

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Steering box arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

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

Pass 9 Aug 2021 166,226 miles
Pass 5 Aug 2020 157,326 miles

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fail 28 Jul 2020 157,275 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine 3.01 (8.2.2.2 (b))

Offside Front Outer Axle swivel joint so worn or insecure in a stub axle that directional stability is impaired + pitting and oil seal damaged (5.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn + Pitted (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 21 Jul 2019 155,722 miles
Fail 21 Jul 2019 155,722 miles

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 14 Aug 2018 154,944 miles
Pass 25 Jul 2017 152,191 miles
Pass 23 Dec 2014 151,651 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

wipers in poor condition

Fail 18 Nov 2014 151,643 miles

Headlamp switch missing (1.7.1)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Obligatory mirror seriously damaged, affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

Position lamp switch missing (1.1.A.1)

Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b) DANGEROUS

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

front exhaust fouling nearside engine mount

front wipers poor

steering arm fouling front diff guide tube

Pass 12 Nov 2013 149,400 miles

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

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 8 Nov 2013 149,400 miles

Nearside Front Panhard rod has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

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

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 20 Oct 2012 148,852 miles
Pass 12 Oct 2011 143,729 miles
Pass 30 Sep 2010 138,709 miles
Fail 30 Sep 2010 138,709 miles

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

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 13 Oct 2009 133,565 miles
Fail 6 Oct 2009 133,565 miles

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour of any colour (7.4.B.4)

Nearside Front Torque/reaction arm has a deteriorated rubber bush resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front Torque/reaction arm has a deteriorated rubber bush resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 29 Mar 2007 231,065 miles
Fail 29 Mar 2007 231,065 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Pass 8 Mar 2006 230,638 miles
Fail 8 Mar 2006 230,638 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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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C550 FAH is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68%.

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 C550 FAH, 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 C550 FAH?

You can check the full history of C550 FAH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C550 FAH registered?

C550 FAH is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1985.

Is C550 FAH safe to buy?

The MOT history for C550 FAH shows 25 tests with a 68% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C550 FAH 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 C550 FAH. 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.