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C983 GSE

1985 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Nov 2026
Tests17 (12 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate70.6%

Mileage

115,997 mi
Last recorded115,997 miles
Recorded on30 Oct 2025
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

RegistrationC983 GSE
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

12 pass 5 fail
Pass 30 Oct 2025 115,997 miles
Pass 24 Oct 2024 110,248 miles

Drag link end ball joint has slight play both (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 17 Nov 2023 106,892 miles

Offside Rear Position lamp slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Pass 26 Sep 2022 104,899 miles

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

Fail 26 Sep 2022 104,899 miles

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

Pass 27 Sep 2021 102,718 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2020 101,089 miles

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

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

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 27 Sep 2019 96,334 miles

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

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

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

Pass 2 Jun 2018 91,547 miles

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Fail 19 May 2018 91,511 miles

Central Rear Upper Sub-frame ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Ball Joint Rubber (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Offside Rear Upper Axle has inadequate clearance with the bump stop Bump stop missing (2.4.A.1a)

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

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Rear Lower Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush Both (2.7.4)

Pass 14 Jun 2017 89,153 miles
Fail 29 Dec 2016 89,107 miles

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play at drop arm (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Steering box has a significant oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Offside Front Steering box has relative movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.2.B.1b)

Offside Front Seat belt cut but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Oil leak various ()

Pass 3 Feb 2016 80,263 miles

Centre Rear Panhard rod ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 14 Jan 2015 78,827 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside rear hub seal leaking

Oil leak

Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn shock absorber pivot (2.7.4)

Rear diff oil seal leaking

Offside front tyre wall perished and cracked

Fail 25 Nov 2014 78,827 miles

Fuel tank leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Oil leak

Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn shock absorber pivot (2.7.4)

front lower cover missing blanking plug

o/s/f hub oil seal leaking

rear diff oil seal leaking

o/ s/f tyre wall perished and cracked

Pass 30 Oct 2013 75,807 miles

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

o/s/front tyre wall perished and cracked

Fail 2 Oct 2013 75,807 miles

Brake linkage has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Brake performance not tested (3.7.A.1)

Driver's door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Front registration plate missing (6.3.1a)

Offside Front Front suspension has excessive movement at a suspension ball joint (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b)

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

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

o/s/ front tyre wall perished and cracked

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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C983 GSE is a 1985 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.6%.

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 C983 GSE, 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 C983 GSE?

You can check the full history of C983 GSE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C983 GSE registered?

C983 GSE is a 1985 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 November 1985.

Is C983 GSE safe to buy?

The MOT history for C983 GSE shows 17 tests with a 70.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C983 GSE 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 C983 GSE. 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.