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C585 JTL

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Nov 2026
Tests17 (10 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate58.8%

Mileage

155,423 mi
Last recorded155,423 miles
Recorded on13 Nov 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

RegistrationC585 JTL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
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

10 pass 7 fail
Pass 13 Nov 2025 155,423 miles

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive various oil leaks from engine and drive line (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear wheel damp around wheel bearing cover

Offside Front swivel joint damp

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Fail 8 Oct 2025 155,408 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake drum contaminated drum leaking fluid (1.1.14 (b))

Fluid leak, but not excessive various leaks from engine and driveline (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Front Bonnet primary retaining device ineffective removed latch ,lube and worked free now working as it should (3.1 (c))

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear wheel damp around wheel bearing cover

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front swivel joint damp

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 16 Oct 2024 154,852 miles

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

Fail 16 Oct 2024 154,852 miles

Offside Front Coil spring insecure (5.3.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) light intensity significantly reduced (4.3.3 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 27 Oct 2023 154,562 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

aftermarket headlamps fitted and beam image poor

Fail 16 Oct 2023 154,561 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake drum contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 27 Aug 2022 154,364 miles

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

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

Fail 15 Aug 2022 154,360 miles

Driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. (6.2.5 (b) (i))

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

Position lamp switch does not illuminate the front and rear position lamps with a single operation (4.2.2 (a))

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

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

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

Pass 15 Sep 2021 153,693 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2020 153,190 miles
Fail 26 Oct 2020 153,187 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Upper Axle swivel joint so worn or insecure in a stub axle that directional stability is impaired (5.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 26 Mar 2018 152,925 miles
Fail 16 Mar 2018 152,925 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Pass 8 Feb 2017 151,482 miles
Fail 6 Feb 2017 151,482 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Steering component is not secure to the vehicle structure steering damper (2.2.B.1a)

brake performance low,just making required effort

Pass 16 Jan 2015 151,437 miles
Pass 29 Mar 2006 133,572 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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C585 JTL is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 58.8%.

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 C585 JTL, 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 C585 JTL?

You can check the full history of C585 JTL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C585 JTL registered?

C585 JTL is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 7 August 1985.

Is C585 JTL safe to buy?

The MOT history for C585 JTL shows 17 tests with a 58.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C585 JTL 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 C585 JTL. 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.