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C588 JTL

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 Apr 2027
Tests9 (6 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

99,370 mi
Last recorded99,370 miles
Recorded on25 Apr 2026
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationC588 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

6 pass 3 fail
Pass 25 Apr 2026 99,370 miles

Bonnet primary retaining device slightly deteriorated (3.1 (c))

Central Rear Upper Axle "A" frame ball joint gaiter damaged but preventing the ingress of dirt

Nearside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive Hub seal leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Sep 2024 97,407 miles

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Rear fog lamp lens defective which has no effect on emitted light Lens taped over (4.5.1 (b) (i))

Fail 3 Sep 2024 97,406 miles

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

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play Steering box arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Rear Rear fog lamp lens defective such that emitted light is adversely affected (4.5.1 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Passenger's seat insecure (6.2.6 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Driver's seat insecure (6.2.5 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Pass 7 Feb 2022 95,180 miles

Central Passenger seat(s) missing at time of test ()

Central Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated A-frame (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Central Rear Suspension component ball joint has slight play A-frame (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Offside Rear Direction indicator lens defective which has no effect on emitted light (4.4.1 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive engine and transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Tyre wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch all 4 (5.2.3 (f))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 7 Feb 2022 95,179 miles

Nearside Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt steering box drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Central Passenger seat(s) missing at time of test ()

Central Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated A-frame (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Central Rear Suspension component ball joint has slight play A-frame (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Offside Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Rear Direction indicator lens defective which has no effect on emitted light (4.4.1 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive engine and transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Tyre wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch all 4 (5.2.3 (f))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 27 Feb 2021 94,327 miles

Central Passenger seat(s) missing at time of test ()

Central Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated axle fulcrum/A-frame (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Nearside Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view zone 'B' (3.2 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive engine and transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear fog lamp lens defective which has no effect on emitted light (4.5.1 (b) (i))

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch all 4 ()

Pass 15 Nov 2019 92,449 miles

Central Passenger seat(s) missing at time of test ()

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases mid to rear section joint (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Oil leak, but not excessive axle swivel joint seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension rod pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement panhard rod bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear movement/play in shock absorber

Offside Front Oil leak, but not excessive axle swivel joint seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside steering damper bush slightly worn not resulting in excessive movement

Rear fog lamp lens defective which has no effect on emitted light (4.5.1 (b) (i))

Steering system slightly rough (2.1.1 (a))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 19 Oct 2018 91,331 miles
Fail 23 Mar 2006 162,390 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

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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C588 JTL is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 9 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 C588 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 C588 JTL?

You can check the full history of C588 JTL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C588 JTL registered?

C588 JTL is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 August 1985.

Is C588 JTL safe to buy?

The MOT history for C588 JTL shows 9 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C588 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 C588 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.