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C578 VUY

1986 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Jan 2027
Tests22 (16 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate72.7%

Mileage

183,461 mi
Last recorded183,461 miles
Recorded on14 Jan 2026
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationC578 VUY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourBlack
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

16 pass 6 fail
Pass 14 Jan 2026 183,461 miles
Fail 13 Jan 2026 183,451 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Front Cab or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a cab mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

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

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

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

Offside Front Cab or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 23 Oct 2021 183,305 miles

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

Oil leak, but not excessive front and rear (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced light corrosion throughout underside of vehicle (6.1.1 (c) (i))

oil leak - from front and rear half shaft area.

Pass 14 Oct 2020 182,032 miles

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

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

Fail 6 Oct 2020 182,032 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.4.3 (b))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Pass 17 Sep 2019 182,822 miles
Pass 12 Jul 2018 181,957 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

corrosion to all under body area.

oil leek from engine area

Pass 21 Jan 2017 179,061 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both n/s and o/s (3.5.1i)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

oil residue around under engine area.

Pass 23 Jan 2016 178,971 miles

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

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

Pass 10 Jan 2015 176,357 miles

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1b)

advise rear brake adjustment and bleed brakes.

Pass 18 Jan 2014 173,328 miles
Fail 11 Jan 2014 173,328 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Nearside Front Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Front Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Pass 8 Jan 2013 160,394 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2013 160,394 miles

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Pass 7 Jan 2012 166,609 miles
Pass 6 Dec 2010 159,595 miles
Fail 4 Dec 2010 159,595 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Pass 11 Dec 2009 152,924 miles
Pass 18 Dec 2008 143,768 miles

Nearside Front Lower Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 14 Dec 2007 137,140 miles
Pass 4 Jan 2007 130,075 miles
Fail 4 Jan 2007 130,075 miles

Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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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C578 VUY is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.7%.

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 C578 VUY, 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 C578 VUY?

You can check the full history of C578 VUY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C578 VUY registered?

C578 VUY is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C578 VUY safe to buy?

The MOT history for C578 VUY shows 22 tests with a 72.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C578 VUY 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 C578 VUY. 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.