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D165 RWL

1987 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2494cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Nov 2026
Tests19 (13 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate68.4%

Mileage

165,661 mi
Last recorded165,661 miles
Recorded on26 Nov 2025
Typical for 1987 Land Rover Defender131,673 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationD165 RWL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1987
ColourBlue
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,494cc

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

13 pass 6 fail
Pass 26 Nov 2025 165,661 miles
Pass 14 Jan 2025 164,368 miles
Pass 21 Dec 2023 163,453 miles
Pass 5 Jan 2023 163,110 miles

Central Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 16 Jun 2021 163,034 miles

Coil spring corroded all 4 springs (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced bumper (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Front Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced under seats (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Offside Front Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

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

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

Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced bumper (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all 4 tyres (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 29 Sep 2016 160,866 miles

front bumper very rusty

oil leak

Fail 28 Sep 2016 160,866 miles

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

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside Side repeater excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.4.A.2e)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid needs adjusting (8.2.3)

front bumper very rusty

o/s/f hub seal leaking

oil leak

throttle sticking

Pass 5 Nov 2014 154,821 miles

Both front coil spring are rusty.

Both front seat belt webbing is in very poor condition.

Both rear bump stop are missing

Front & rear brake discs are worn.

Front too rear brake pipe is rusty.

Oil leak

Rear axle brake pipes are rusty.

o/s/f tyre is badly perished.

Fail 4 Nov 2014 154,770 miles

Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

Rear Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Both front coil spring are rusty.

Both front seat belt webbing is in very poor condition.

Both rear bump stop are missing

Front & rear brake discs are worn.

Front too rear brake pipe is rusty.

Oil leak

Rear axle brake pipes are rusty.

Pass 18 Nov 2013 151,004 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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

Pass 9 Oct 2012 146,707 miles

Steering damper damaged but serviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Fail 27 Sep 2012 146,679 miles

Centre rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Power steering pump drive system defective (2.3.6)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Steering damper damaged but serviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Pass 27 Sep 2011 144,154 miles

Brake fluid is low

Front coil springs are rusty

Play in steering damper bushes

Fail 16 Sep 2011 144,074 miles

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

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Brake fluid is low

Front coil springs are rusty

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1b)

Play in steering damper bushes

Pass 9 Oct 2009 135,026 miles

Both n/s & o/s seat belt webbing in very poor condition.

Front windscreen is damaged.

Play in n/s/f wheel bearing.

Wiper blades in poor condition.

Fail 28 Sep 2009 135,026 miles

Centre Rear Torque/reaction arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Front registration plate obscured (6.3.1d)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Lower Steering column universal joint has excessive play (2.1.5)

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Rear position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

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

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

Both n/s & o/s seat belt webbing in very poor condition.

Front windscreen is damaged.

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1b)

Play in n/s/f wheel bearing.

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1a)

Wiper blades in poor condition.

Fail 19 Sep 2008 127,414 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

all brake pipes starting to corrode

brake fluid low

nails in n/s/f tyre

o/s/r tyre wall perished

Pass 19 Sep 2008 127,414 miles

all brake pipes starting to corrode

brake fluid low

nails in n/s/f tyre

o/s/r tyre wall perished

Pass 6 Sep 2006 106,760 miles

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

Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

rear alxe brake pipes very rusty. †o/s/r chassie is rusty. †n/s/f brake pipe is rusty. †

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

D165 RWL is a 1987 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,494cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68.4%.

Across all 1987 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.3% with a typical mileage of 131,673 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 D165 RWL, 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 39 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 D165 RWL?

You can check the full history of D165 RWL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was D165 RWL registered?

D165 RWL is a 1987 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 28 April 1987.

Is D165 RWL safe to buy?

The MOT history for D165 RWL shows 19 tests with a 68.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does D165 RWL 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 D165 RWL. 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.