CarVerify

Free Car Check

C731 AHY

1985 Land Rover Defender

Orange Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Expired
Expires4 Apr 2026
Tests23 (14 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate60.9%

Mileage

172,767 mi
Last recorded172,767 miles
Recorded on5 Apr 2025
Typical for 1985 Land Rover Defender122,807 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationC731 AHY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourOrange
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

14 pass 9 fail
Pass 5 Apr 2025 172,767 miles
Pass 16 May 2023 172,562 miles
Fail 13 May 2023 172,557 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Brake pad(s) contaminated (1.1.13 (b))

Offside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 10 May 2022 172,277 miles
Fail 29 Apr 2022 172,271 miles

Fuel system component leaking from lift pump area (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Headlamp aim too high near side very high (4.1.2 (a))

Headlamp aim too high off side very high (4.1.2 (a))

Oil leaking excessively from engine dripping from bottom rear of engine area (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Pass 3 Feb 2020 172,076 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Pass 10 May 2019 171,439 miles

slight oil leak from steering box

Fail 9 May 2019 171,439 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp when brake applied (4.2.3 (c))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

slight oil leak from steering box

Pass 5 Jul 2016 169,246 miles

near side rear hub oil seal wet

some play at off side front wheel

Fail 30 Jun 2016 169,246 miles

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

Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush near side rear lower arm rear bush (2.4.G.2)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded near side mid chassis in front of rear arm front mount (2.4.A.3)

near side rear hub oil seal wet

some play at off side front wheel

Pass 20 Jun 2015 168,348 miles
Fail 13 Jun 2015 168,340 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1a)

Pass 26 Oct 2012 167,122 miles

steering damper bush worn

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Rear Brake hose slightly damaged (3.6.B.4d)

handbrake travel long

underside of vehicle corroded slightly

Fail 26 Oct 2012 167,122 miles

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear Brake hose slightly damaged (3.6.B.4d)

handbrake travel long

steering damper bush worn

underside of vehicle corroded slightly

Pass 28 Oct 2011 165,969 miles

Slight play in offside front hub

Steering damper bush worn

Pass 2 Nov 2010 163,924 miles
Fail 26 Oct 2010 163,921 miles

Headlamps matched pair are not the same shape (1.7.6)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

Pass 30 Oct 2009 160,189 miles

Chassis corroded

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

N/S door mirror damaged

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Steering damper bushes slightly worn

Wires to screen

Fail 28 Sep 2009 160,185 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

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

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

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Chassis corroded

Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Steering damper bushes have play

wires to screen

Pass 24 Sep 2008 157,512 miles

All tyres have various damage

Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

O/S/F hub seal leaking slightly

Rear chassis corroded

Slight play in both front hubs

Underside of vehicle corroded

Wires fiited to front wings

Fail 12 Sep 2008 157,512 miles

Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching by more than 10mm within zone 'A' (8.3.1b)

Brake pipe leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

All tyres have various damage

Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

O/S/F hub seal leaking slightly

O/S/R shock absorber slightly damaged

Rear chassis corroded

Underside of vehicle corroded

Wires fiited to front wings

Pass 6 Sep 2007 156,399 miles
Pass 29 Aug 2006 154,182 miles

Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

bolts missing from n/s seat mount casing

brake pedal rubber worn

r/axle brake pipe clip broken

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

C731 AHY is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Orange with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60.9%.

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 C731 AHY, 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 C731 AHY?

You can check the full history of C731 AHY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C731 AHY registered?

C731 AHY is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 9 September 1985.

Is C731 AHY safe to buy?

The MOT history for C731 AHY shows 23 tests with a 60.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C731 AHY 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 C731 AHY. 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.