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C657 VUY

1985 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2500cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Sep 2027
Tests28 (21 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

309,102 mi
Last recorded309,102 miles
Recorded on6 Aug 2026
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationC657 VUY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,500cc

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

21 pass 7 fail
Pass 6 Aug 2026 309,102 miles
Fail 5 Aug 2026 309,077 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing significantly weakened cut from edge greater than 2mm (7.1.2 (b))

Nearside Headlamp insecure (4.1.1 (c))

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

Pass 22 Aug 2025 306,022 miles
Fail 15 Aug 2025 305,824 miles

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively damaged significantly reducing structural strength by top of shock absorber (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Pass 16 Aug 2024 294,507 miles

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

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

Pass 18 Aug 2023 281,011 miles

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

Pass 19 Aug 2022 268,269 miles
Pass 2 Sep 2021 266,824 miles

Central Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 20 Aug 2020 266,824 miles

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

Pass 20 Aug 2019 266,824 miles
Pass 30 Jul 2018 266,824 miles
Pass 3 Aug 2017 258,335 miles
Fail 25 Jul 2017 258,305 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Pass 12 Sep 2016 250,872 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 8 Sep 2015 240,330 miles
Pass 12 Sep 2014 229,102 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Steering damper slight oil seepage (2.2.C.1f)

Pass 11 Sep 2013 217,211 miles
Fail 9 Sep 2013 217,185 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Indicator switch insecure (1.4.A.1)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 5 Sep 2012 207,553 miles
Fail 28 Aug 2012 207,553 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

Pass 4 Aug 2011 198,778 miles
Pass 3 Aug 2010 187,645 miles
Pass 3 Aug 2009 178,221 miles
Pass 17 Jul 2008 169,482 miles
Pass 27 Jul 2007 164,357 miles
Fail 20 Jul 2007 164,357 miles

Horn not loud enough to be heard by another road user (1.6.2b)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 21 Jun 2006 159,516 miles
Fail 19 Jun 2006 159,516 miles

Horn not loud enough to be heard by another road user (1.6.2b)

Indicator switch insecure (1.4.A.1)

Offside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Headlamp aim too high when the centre of the headlamp is above 850mm from the ground (1.6.B3)

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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C657 VUY is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

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 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 C657 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 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 C657 VUY?

You can check the full history of C657 VUY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C657 VUY registered?

C657 VUY is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1985.

Is C657 VUY safe to buy?

The MOT history for C657 VUY shows 28 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C657 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 C657 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.