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C689 GHJ

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Petrol 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Feb 2027
Tests22 (17 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate77.3%

Mileage

87,392 mi
Last recorded87,392 miles
Recorded on13 Feb 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

RegistrationC689 GHJ
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
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

17 pass 5 fail
Pass 13 Feb 2026 87,392 miles

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

Fail 12 Dec 2025 87,390 miles

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

Offside Front Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (1.1.21 (e) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced rear cross member (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Pass 3 Jan 2025 86,515 miles

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Pass 20 Jul 2023 85,086 miles

Coil spring corroded Front and Rear (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Fail 29 Jun 2023 85,080 miles

Driver's seat with a defective structure (6.2.5 (a) (i))

Front Prop shaft joint constant velocity boot no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Nearside Front Passenger's seat with a defective structure (6.2.6 (a) (i))

Nearside 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 Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Coil spring corroded Front and Rear (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 23 Jun 2022 83,637 miles

Coil spring corroded Front and Rear (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

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

Pass 21 Jun 2021 82,657 miles

Coil spring corroded Front and Rear (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 15 Jun 2020 81,346 miles

Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 18 Jun 2019 79,784 miles

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 22 Jun 2018 78,116 miles

Driver's door pillar deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Fail 6 Jun 2018 78,109 miles

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

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced Body mount (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Floor excessively deteriorated Floor pan (6.2.4 (a) (i))

Driver's door pillar deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 30 Mar 2017 76,452 miles
Pass 30 Apr 2015 73,852 miles

Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (3.6.C.3)

all seats worn

o/s a post corroded

Pass 16 Apr 2014 72,199 miles
Pass 10 Apr 2013 71,133 miles
Pass 1 Aug 2011 70,389 miles
Pass 30 Jul 2010 69,030 miles
Pass 31 Jul 2009 67,588 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Fail 30 Jul 2009 67,586 miles

Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (3.6.C.3)

Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

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

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

Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 28 Jul 2008 65,763 miles

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 9 Oct 2006 62,210 miles
Fail 6 Oct 2006 62,208 miles

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

Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

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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C689 GHJ is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.3%.

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 C689 GHJ, 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 C689 GHJ?

You can check the full history of C689 GHJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C689 GHJ registered?

C689 GHJ is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 5 September 1985.

Is C689 GHJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for C689 GHJ shows 22 tests with a 77.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C689 GHJ 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 C689 GHJ. 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.