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D3 FAT

1989 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Dec 2026
Tests21 (15 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

181,069 mi
Last recorded181,069 miles
Recorded on4 Dec 2025
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationD3 FAT
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourRed
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

15 pass 6 fail
Pass 4 Dec 2025 181,069 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Fail 3 Dec 2025 181,047 miles

Offside Rear Direction indicator adversely affected by the operation of another lamp switches on near side rear (4.4.3 (b))

Nearside Rear Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Pass 14 Nov 2024 179,805 miles
Fail 8 Nov 2024 179,646 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play drop link (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play front most link (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 22 Sep 2023 177,949 miles
Pass 20 Sep 2022 177,025 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 23 Sep 2021 174,600 miles
Pass 2 Jul 2020 273,961 miles
Pass 9 Dec 2015 272,291 miles

Front Drive shaft uj which forms part of the suspension has slight play in a universal joint (2.4.G.4b)

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

Rear Drive shaft uj which forms part of the suspension has slight play in a universal joint (2.4.G.4b)

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion rear cross member (6.1.B.2)

Fail 8 Dec 2015 272,291 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Front Drive shaft uj which forms part of the suspension has slight play in a universal joint (2.4.G.4b)

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

Rear Drive shaft uj which forms part of the suspension has slight play in a universal joint (2.4.G.4b)

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion rear cross member (6.1.B.2)

Pass 30 Dec 2014 271,687 miles

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

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 14 Dec 2013 270,794 miles

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

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

Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

n/s/f swivel housing (ball ) damp/greasy

vehicle modified heavily for off road use

Pass 28 Apr 2012 270,484 miles

Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Offside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

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

Fail 28 Oct 2010 270,477 miles

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Oil leak

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

drivers door mirror slightly cracked but still provides a view to rear

Pass 28 Oct 2010 270,477 miles

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Oil leak

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

drivers door mirror slightly cracked but still provides a view to rear

Pass 29 Oct 2009 270,451 miles
Fail 29 Oct 2009 270,451 miles

Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Pass 7 Oct 2008 267,320 miles
Fail 6 Oct 2008 267,320 miles

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

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Offside Rear position lamp(s) incomplete (1.1.4a)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Pass 25 Sep 2007 259,398 miles

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

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

chassis corroding all round

Pass 5 Apr 2006 242,917 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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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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D3 FAT is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

Across all 1989 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.8% with a typical mileage of 127,912 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 D3 FAT, 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 37 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 D3 FAT?

You can check the full history of D3 FAT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was D3 FAT registered?

D3 FAT is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 7 April 1989.

Is D3 FAT safe to buy?

The MOT history for D3 FAT shows 21 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does D3 FAT 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 D3 FAT. 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.