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D499 ARF

1986 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires3 Jun 2026
Tests18 (12 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

272,510 mi
Last recorded272,510 miles
Recorded on4 Jun 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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Vehicle Details

RegistrationD499 ARF
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGrey
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

12 pass 6 fail
Pass 4 Jun 2025 272,510 miles

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

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

Pass 1 May 2018 270,980 miles

Offside Front Nail in tyre ()

Fail 18 Apr 2018 27,091 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil hub seal leaking into drum (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil hub seal leaking into drum (3.5.1h)

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

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases rear pipe corroded and blowing (7.1.2)

Offside Front Nail in tyre ()

Pass 6 Apr 2017 269,535 miles

Offside Front Nail in tyre ()

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

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 28 Jan 2016 264,594 miles

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

Offside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Fail 26 Jan 2016 264,594 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring not correctly located (2.4.C.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Offside Front Coil spring not correctly located (2.4.C.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too far to the right (1.8)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

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

Offside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 9 Oct 2014 257,726 miles

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

alluminium panelling around front seat belts mounts corroding

nearside windscreen wiper refill ends slightly torn

rear side facing seat belts insecurely mounted

Fail 3 Oct 2014 257,726 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Front Brake hose has insufficient room to move, resulting in fouling on any part (3.6.B.4a)

Nearside Front Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

alluminium panelling around front seat belts mounts corroding

nearside windscreen wiper refill ends slightly torn

rear side facing seat belts insecurely mounted

Pass 23 Sep 2013 253,212 miles
Pass 7 Dec 2012 251,834 miles

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

Pass 9 Dec 2011 249,570 miles

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

Offside Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Fail 9 Dec 2011 149,566 miles

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Offside Seat belt insecurely fixed to the vehicles structure (5.2.1a)

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

Offside Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 15 Nov 2010 246,583 miles
Pass 9 Aug 2008 240,988 miles
Pass 17 May 2007 237,560 miles
Fail 17 May 2007 237,557 miles

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Pass 22 Apr 2006 234,955 miles
Fail 10 Apr 2006 234,952 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end loose (2.2.B.1d)

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

Offside Front Track rod end loose (2.2.B.1d)

Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

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

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

bonnet struts defective

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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D499 ARF is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 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 D499 ARF, 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 D499 ARF?

You can check the full history of D499 ARF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was D499 ARF registered?

D499 ARF is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 August 1986.

Is D499 ARF safe to buy?

The MOT history for D499 ARF shows 18 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does D499 ARF 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 D499 ARF. 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.