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D4 HYW

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Feb 2027
Tests19 (12 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate63.2%

Mileage

118,715 mi
Last recorded118,715 miles
Recorded on4 Feb 2026
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationD4 HYW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourBlue
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 7 fail
Pass 4 Feb 2026 118,715 miles
Pass 3 Jan 2025 116,754 miles
Fail 3 Jan 2025 116,754 miles

Offside Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced Hole in chassis (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 27 Jun 2023 113,059 miles
Pass 20 Jun 2022 110,702 miles

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

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

Pass 24 Dec 2019 110,166 miles

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 25 Jun 2018 108,878 miles
Fail 25 Jun 2018 108,878 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear reflector missing (4.8.2 (a) (ii))

Pass 3 Mar 2017 107,520 miles
Fail 3 Mar 2017 107,520 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.2.B.1a)

Pass 23 Dec 2015 106,265 miles
Fail 23 Dec 2015 106,265 miles

Front registration plate character(s) likely to be misread (6.3.4b)

Fail 23 Dec 2014 104,238 miles

Rear Radius arm rubber mounting bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 23 Dec 2014 104,238 miles
Fail 3 Sep 2014 104,203 miles

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

Driver's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has an unsatisfactory modification, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Passenger's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

Nearside Rear Coil spring mounting corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.C.3c)

Nearside Rear Radius arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded and its strength is seriously reduced (2.4.G.1)

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

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

Offside Front Vehicle structure has an unsatisfactory modification, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Offside Rear Coil spring mounting corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.C.3c)

Offside Rear Radius arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded and its strength is seriously reduced (2.4.G.1)

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

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Oil leak

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

exhaust rear box corroded

wiper blades poor

Pass 3 Aug 2013 103,444 miles

Oil leak

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

Pass 23 Nov 2007 102,835 miles

Headlamp masks/converters fitted

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

Oil leak

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Fail 20 Sep 2007 102,818 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (3.3.A.1b)

Brake performance not tested (3.7.A.1)

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour of any colour (7.4.B.4)

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

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

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Headlamp aim not tested (1.8.A.1c)

Nearside Front Direction indicator excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.4.A.2e)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

Power steering malfunctioning (2.3.3a)

Power steering pump drive system defective (2.3.6)

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

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

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3) DANGEROUS

Pass 22 Sep 2006 98,812 miles

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

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front Front position lamp(s) obscured but not more than 50% (1.1.A.3c)

Offside Front Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage (2.3.3b)

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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D4 HYW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63.2%.

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 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 D4 HYW, 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 D4 HYW?

You can check the full history of D4 HYW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was D4 HYW registered?

D4 HYW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 April 1989.

Is D4 HYW safe to buy?

The MOT history for D4 HYW shows 19 tests with a 63.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does D4 HYW 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 D4 HYW. 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.