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C853 PHG

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Jan 2027
Tests23 (20 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate87%

Mileage

516,285 mi
Last recorded516,285 miles
Recorded on13 Jan 2026
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationC853 PHG
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGreen
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

20 pass 3 fail
Pass 13 Jan 2026 516,285 miles

Presenter declared build date Feb 1986

Fail 3 Dec 2025 516,217 miles

Nearside Front Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting Chassis has large hole behind bulkhead outrigger (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Floor pan corroded on bottom (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Vehicle presenter declared build date feb 1986

Pass 5 Dec 2024 515,893 miles
Pass 29 Nov 2023 515,504 miles
Pass 2 Dec 2022 514,527 miles

Fuel pump damp but no drips or leaks apparent

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Front hockey stick bush has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Surface corrosion in various places on chassis (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 1 Dec 2021 513,941 miles

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

underside of vehicle painted

Pass 3 Dec 2020 513,514 miles
Pass 12 Jun 2019 511,593 miles
Pass 12 Jun 2018 510,579 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

chassis and floor /pan corroded

Pass 14 Jun 2017 509,733 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened nearside and offside (3.5.1i)

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive suspension arm to diff mount (2.4.A.3)

body and chassis corroded in various places

Pass 31 May 2016 509,440 miles

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

body and chassis corroded in various places

Fail 31 May 2016 509,440 miles

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

body and chassis corroded in various places

Pass 15 Jun 2015 508,651 miles
Pass 24 Jun 2014 508,075 miles

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 12 Jun 2013 506,801 miles
Pass 26 Jun 2012 504,799 miles

body mounts corroded

chassis corroded

front and rear suspension corroded

Pass 6 Jun 2011 493,019 miles

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

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

Pass 21 Jun 2010 479,534 miles
Pass 9 Jun 2009 462,202 miles
Pass 14 Jun 2008 44,197 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2007 430,551 miles
Fail 8 Jun 2007 430,538 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

drop arm ball joint, from steering box drop arm becoming worn

rear fog light switch becoming faulty

vehicle permanently in 4x4, brakes tested with decelerometer only

Pass 20 Jun 2006 413,270 miles

old style. number plates. fitted. should be yellow to rear and white to front

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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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.

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C853 PHG is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 87%.

Across all 1986 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.7% with a typical mileage of 124,952 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 C853 PHG, 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 40 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 C853 PHG?

You can check the full history of C853 PHG by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C853 PHG registered?

C853 PHG is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C853 PHG safe to buy?

The MOT history for C853 PHG shows 23 tests with a 87% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C853 PHG 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 C853 PHG. 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.