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C917 LAW

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 May 2027
Tests27 (16 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate59.3%

Mileage

131,754 mi
Last recorded131,754 miles
Recorded on18 May 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationC917 LAW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1985
ColourBlue
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

16 pass 11 fail
Pass 18 May 2026 131,754 miles
Pass 19 May 2025 121,912 miles

N/S rear hub leaking oil

Pass 23 Apr 2024 114,148 miles
Pass 21 Nov 2019 112,570 miles

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 19 Nov 2018 100,045 miles
Fail 19 Nov 2018 100,045 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 16 Nov 2017 86,749 miles
Pass 15 Nov 2016 74,742 miles
Pass 16 Nov 2015 54,812 miles
Pass 17 Nov 2014 43,078 miles
Fail 14 Nov 2014 43,078 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 15 Nov 2013 41,283 miles
Fail 15 Nov 2013 41,283 miles

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Fail 16 Apr 2012 41,259 miles

Driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. (6.2.A.3)

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Nearside Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

Offside Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.6.6)

Steering wheel retaining device insecure (2.1.6)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

advise front tyres starting to perrish

rear tyres different size to rear

Pass 14 Apr 2011 40,340 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Oil leak

Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

advise front discs slightly russted

advise front tyres different size to rear tyres

advise nearside front tyre starting to perrish

Fail 11 Apr 2011 40,340 miles

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Centre Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Nearside Body has a projection caused by corrosion (6.1.C.1)

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

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

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

Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Oil leak

Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

advise front discs slightly russted

advise front tyres different size to rear tyres

advise nearside front tyre starting to perrish

Pass 6 Apr 2010 38,155 miles

Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.6.6)

front tyres different size to rear

Fail 6 Apr 2010 38,155 miles

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.6.6)

front tyres different size to rear

Fail 27 Mar 2010 38,149 miles

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition off (1.4.B.1f)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.6.6)

front tyres different size to rear

Pass 27 Mar 2009 35,670 miles

front plus rear tyres differnt size

Fail 23 Mar 2009 35,667 miles

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

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

rear brakes release unevenly (3.7.B.4)

front plus rear tyres differnt size

no cover fitted to number plate light

Pass 17 Mar 2008 34,584 miles

Nearside Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

front number plate cracked

Fail 3 Mar 2008 34,584 miles

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

Fuel cap/sealing device sealing washer missing (7.2.4c)

Nearside Front Steering system has a tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (2.2.D.2a)

Offside Front Steering system fouling (2.2.D.2a)

Nearside Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

front number plate cracked

Pass 6 Mar 2007 31,992 miles
Fail 5 Mar 2007 31,992 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 7 Apr 2006 30,464 miles
Fail 3 Apr 2006 30,464 miles

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

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

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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C917 LAW is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 59.3%.

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 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 C917 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 C917 LAW?

You can check the full history of C917 LAW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C917 LAW registered?

C917 LAW is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 12 November 1985.

Is C917 LAW safe to buy?

The MOT history for C917 LAW shows 27 tests with a 59.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C917 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 C917 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.