CarVerify

Free Car Check

C916 LAW

1985 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 Aug 2026
Tests23 (19 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate82.6%

Mileage

151,220 mi
Last recorded151,220 miles
Recorded on11 Aug 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
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

RegistrationC916 LAW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourGreen
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

19 pass 4 fail
Pass 11 Aug 2025 151,220 miles
Pass 16 Aug 2024 145,777 miles

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

Pass 11 Aug 2023 139,374 miles
Pass 10 Aug 2022 134,290 miles
Pass 17 Aug 2021 130,249 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 27 Jul 2020 126,974 miles
Pass 17 Aug 2019 123,671 miles

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

Pass 18 Aug 2018 120,779 miles
Pass 17 Aug 2017 117,552 miles
Pass 12 Aug 2016 114,675 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing starting to get noisy

Fail 12 Aug 2016 114,675 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing starting to get noisy

Offside Front Tie bar/rod locating pin insecure (2.4.G.3a)

Pass 21 Aug 2015 112,007 miles

Front PAS pipe has small leak bellow radiator

Nearside & offside door pillars corroded

Nearside & offside rear out riggers showing signs of corrosion

Nearside Front Inner wheel arch above chassis very rusty

Nearside Front Lower Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Front Inner wheel arch corroded under peddles

Rear wheel bearing has slight play x2 (2.6.2)

Pass 2 Oct 2014 111,762 miles

Both rear out riggers rusty

Chip in screen

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

Offside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Play in both front bearings

Small areas of corrosion on bulk head

U.J joint worn in both propshafts

Pass 3 Sep 2013 110,125 miles

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

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

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 23 Aug 2012 108,811 miles

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

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 12 Apr 2011 107,910 miles
Fail 8 Apr 2011 107,910 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Nearside Front Steering locking device missing (2.2.C.1g)

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Front Steering locking device missing (2.2.C.1g)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Power steering pump leaking from a failed component (2.3.3b)

Centre Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

steering column feeles rough/ notchey when in use

water leak from engin

Pass 14 Sep 2009 105,833 miles
Fail 7 Sep 2009 105,829 miles

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

Front Statutory seat belt missing (5.1.1)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Steering box fractured and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Pass 29 Aug 2008 105,629 miles
Fail 27 Aug 2008 105,629 miles

Offside Front Coil spring mounting corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.C.3c)

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Pass 28 Aug 2007 104,981 miles
Pass 22 Aug 2006 104,564 miles

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

C916 LAW is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 82.6%.

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 C916 LAW, 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 C916 LAW?

You can check the full history of C916 LAW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C916 LAW registered?

C916 LAW is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 19 November 1985.

Is C916 LAW safe to buy?

The MOT history for C916 LAW shows 23 tests with a 82.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C916 LAW 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 C916 LAW. 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.