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C973 VUY

1986 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 Apr 2026
Tests22 (16 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate72.7%

Mileage

274,912 mi
Last recorded274,912 miles
Recorded on21 Apr 2025
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationC973 VUY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
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 6 fail
Pass 21 Apr 2025 274,912 miles
Pass 28 Mar 2024 272,450 miles
Fail 16 Jan 2024 272,153 miles

Nearside Front Outer Steering box has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.3 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Steering box has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.3 (a) (i))

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

Pass 21 Oct 2022 270,591 miles
Fail 11 Oct 2022 270,180 miles

Brake performance not tested (1.2.1 (g))

Front Prop shaft joint excessively worn rear joint (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Suspension rod insecurely attached Panhard rod (5.3.3 (a) (i))

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

Rear Exhaust system insecure (6.1.2 (a))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement radius arm front bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement radius arm front bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 8 Sep 2021 265,239 miles
Fail 11 Dec 2020 265,191 miles

Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn upper and lower (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp goes out when brake pressed (4.2.3 (c))

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn upper and lower (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Lower Steering column universal joint has slight wear or play (2.2.2 (c))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing cracks (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing cracks (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing cracks (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing cracks (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

front axle fixing points corroded for suspension and steering

Pass 20 Nov 2019 260,536 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases front pipe to turbo (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Upper Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

bonnet heavily rusted along front mounting securing point

Fail 25 Oct 2019 260,536 miles

Driver's door does not latch securely closed (6.2.3 (a))

Intermediate drop arm insecure insecure on steering box shaft (nut slack) (2.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Speedometer clearly inoperative (7.8 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 10 Oct 2018 255,889 miles

Front Inside front edge of bonnet corroded

Hand brake has limited reserve travel

Nearside Front Corrosion on swivel housing

Offside Front Corrosion on swivel housing

Offside Front Door frame corroded

Fail 1 Oct 2018 255,889 miles

Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases Down pipe holed (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has excessive play Ball joint at steering arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Hand brake has limited reserve travel

Nearside Front Corrosion on swivel housing

Offside Front Corrosion on swivel housing

Slight play in front universal joint at front axle

Pass 31 Oct 2017 248,890 miles

Brake pad(s) wearing thin n/s & o/s front brake pads (3.5.1g)

Drag link end ball joint has slight play steering arm ball joint (2.2.B.1f)

Front Upper Steering column universal joint has slight play under bonnet upper steering column joint (2.1.5)

Pass 21 Sep 2016 242,793 miles

Upper Steering column universal joint has slight play (2.1.5)

front diff seal leaking

Fail 10 Sep 2016 242,791 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Power steering component(s) leaking st box (2.3.3b)

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

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Upper Steering column universal joint has slight play (2.1.5)

front diff seal leaking

Pass 24 Jul 2015 234,701 miles
Pass 15 Aug 2014 231,448 miles
Pass 28 Aug 2013 228,058 miles
Pass 2 Aug 2012 224,505 miles
Pass 21 Aug 2009 220,835 miles

Nearside Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Pass 1 Oct 2007 213,834 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

both front headlight aims poor

both front headlights becoming insecure

offside front brake disc slight covering of oil

slight play at steering box

Pass 13 Oct 2006 202,730 miles
Pass 13 Oct 2005 193,028 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

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C973 VUY is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.7%.

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 C973 VUY, 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 C973 VUY?

You can check the full history of C973 VUY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C973 VUY registered?

C973 VUY is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is C973 VUY safe to buy?

The MOT history for C973 VUY shows 22 tests with a 72.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C973 VUY 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 C973 VUY. 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.