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C601 XRU

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Apr 2027
Tests23 (15 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate65.2%

Mileage

87,618 mi
Last recorded87,618 miles
Recorded on14 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
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC601 XRU
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
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 8 fail
Pass 14 Apr 2026 87,618 miles

Coil spring corroded Front & rear both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Fail 30 Mar 2026 87,616 miles

All direction indicators not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt both sides (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Rear Suspension rod pin or bush excessively worn Both sides (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Coil spring corroded Front & rear both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 12 Jun 2023 87,114 miles

Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

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

Fail 12 Jun 2023 87,114 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

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

Pass 30 Apr 2022 86,368 miles

Front Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Fail 22 Apr 2022 86,357 miles

All direction indicators not working all (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

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

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

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

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

Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing both (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 17 Mar 2021 85,249 miles

front and rear springs rusting

oil leak

rear trailing arms have play

Pass 16 Apr 2020 83,890 miles
Pass 25 Jun 2016 83,199 miles
Pass 24 Apr 2014 79,716 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 22 Apr 2014 79,716 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 5 Apr 2013 76,208 miles

Oil leak

slight play steering bamper bushes

Fail 21 Mar 2013 76,102 miles

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

Fuel cap/sealing device does not fasten securely maintaining the sealing arrangement (7.2.4b)

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

battery light on

coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

n/s/f under wheel arch, rear rusted & holed

Pass 13 Apr 2012 72,673 miles

Oil leak

Fail 12 Apr 2012 72,673 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Oil leak

Pass 8 Apr 2011 68,263 miles

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Pass 6 Apr 2010 67,801 miles

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

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Pass 14 Apr 2009 67,356 miles

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Pass 27 Mar 2008 66,893 miles

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Fail 25 Mar 2008 66,893 miles

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

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

Nearside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

Pass 2 Apr 2007 65,973 miles

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

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

Fail 27 Mar 2007 65,973 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

Pass 24 Mar 2006 65,144 miles

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

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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C601 XRU is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.2%.

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 C601 XRU, 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 C601 XRU?

You can check the full history of C601 XRU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C601 XRU registered?

C601 XRU is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 27 November 1985.

Is C601 XRU safe to buy?

The MOT history for C601 XRU shows 23 tests with a 65.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C601 XRU 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 C601 XRU. 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.