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C697 EMM

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Petrol 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires14 Sep 2026
Tests28 (21 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

170,300 mi
Last recorded170,300 miles
Recorded on11 Sep 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

RegistrationC697 EMM
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
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

21 pass 7 fail
Pass 11 Sep 2025 170,300 miles
Fail 10 Sep 2025 170,300 miles

All position lamps adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Pass 12 Sep 2024 167,716 miles
Pass 14 Sep 2023 165,687 miles
Pass 12 Sep 2022 164,101 miles

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

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

underside of vehicle corroded in parts

Pass 1 Sep 2021 162,912 miles

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

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

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front lower arms (5.3.4 (a) (i))

underside of vehicle corroded in parts

Pass 2 Sep 2020 162,255 miles

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

slight leek from n/s/f and o/s/r hub seals

underside of vehicle corroded in parts

Pass 5 Sep 2019 160,924 miles

Hazard switch faulty

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

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

engine oil leak

Fail 4 Sep 2019 160,924 miles

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

Hazard switch faulty

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

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

engine oil leak

Pass 4 Sep 2018 158,882 miles
Pass 12 Sep 2017 156,270 miles
Pass 13 Sep 2016 154,126 miles

advise slight play in n/s/f wheel bearing

advise slight play in o/s/f swivel

oil leak

Pass 18 Aug 2015 152,025 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Front Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

advise slight play in both front swivels

Pass 9 Sep 2014 150,087 miles

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

Oil leak

advise slight play in o/s/f swivel

Pass 3 Sep 2013 14,745 miles

oil leak

Fail 2 Sep 2013 14,745 miles

Offside Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

oil leak

Pass 31 Aug 2012 143,530 miles

Ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nail in offside rear tyre

Oil leak

advise chassis corroded

advise slight play in both front wheel bearings

Pass 2 Sep 2011 140,791 miles

Oil leak

Fail 1 Sep 2011 140,791 miles

Offside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Oil leak

Pass 9 Sep 2010 138,795 miles

offside front bump stop missing

Pass 14 Sep 2009 136,326 miles

Offside Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

Fail 14 Sep 2009 136,326 miles

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Offside Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

Pass 3 Sep 2008 132,590 miles

Oil leak

Pass 5 Sep 2007 128,746 miles
Pass 11 Sep 2006 126,912 miles
Fail 11 Sep 2006 126,912 miles

Nearside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

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

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

Pass 15 Sep 2005 123,415 miles
Fail 14 Sep 2005 123,415 miles

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Nearside brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

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

Offside rear tyre wearing on inner edge

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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C697 EMM is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc petrol 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 C697 EMM, 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 C697 EMM?

You can check the full history of C697 EMM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C697 EMM registered?

C697 EMM is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 19 November 1985.

Is C697 EMM safe to buy?

The MOT history for C697 EMM 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 C697 EMM 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 C697 EMM. 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.