CarVerify

Free Car Check

D521 PAW

1986 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Nov 2026
Tests20 (13 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate65%

Mileage

60,306 mi
Last recorded60,306 miles
Recorded on4 Nov 2025
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £14.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationD521 PAW
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

13 pass 7 fail
Pass 4 Nov 2025 60,306 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Fail 4 Nov 2025 60,306 miles

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play steering arm ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Steering box has excessive movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Pass 24 Oct 2024 58,710 miles

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

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

Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated axle ball joint (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced underside getting rusty in places (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 24 Oct 2024 58,706 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated axle ball joint (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced underside getting rusty in places (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 19 Oct 2023 57,962 miles

Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated back axle ball joint (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 17 Oct 2023 57,962 miles

Brake performance unable to be tested (1.2.1 (g))

Emissions unable to be completed (8.2.2.2 (e))

Power steering component leaking (2.1.5 (a))

Rear Prop shaft joint excessively worn rear prop uj (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated back axle ball joint (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 28 Oct 2022 57,232 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Hazard warning tell-tale inoperative (4.9.1 (a) (i))

Indicator tell-tale inoperative (4.9.1 (a) (i))

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

Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated top of axle (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 19 Oct 2022 57,231 miles

Exhaust noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar vehicle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition (8.1.1 (a))

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Vehicle structure modified such that structural rigidity is significantly reduced centre chassis cross member removed (6.1.1 (d) (i))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Hazard warning tell-tale inoperative (4.9.1 (a) (i))

Indicator tell-tale inoperative (4.9.1 (a) (i))

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

Rear Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated top of axle (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 28 Oct 2021 56,427 miles
Pass 29 Oct 2020 55,254 miles

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Fail 26 Oct 2020 55,248 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength central crossmember (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Power steering pipe/hose leaking (2.1.5 (a))

Steering wheel has movement relative to the column indicating looseness (2.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Upper Axle swivel joint so worn or insecure in a stub axle that directional stability is impaired (5.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Pass 17 Sep 2020 55,238 miles
Pass 29 Jul 2017 52,061 miles

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

Pass 20 Aug 2016 48,265 miles
Pass 21 Nov 2013 48,218 miles

slight corrosion on brake pipe to off side front flexi hose

Fail 19 Nov 2013 48,215 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

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

Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

slight corrosion on brake pipe to off side front flexi hose

Pass 21 May 2008 104,453 miles
Pass 31 Jan 2007 99,067 miles
Pass 31 Jan 2006 94,485 miles
Fail 10 Jan 2006 94,455 miles

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

Front Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

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

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

D521 PAW is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65%.

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 D521 PAW, 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 D521 PAW?

You can check the full history of D521 PAW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was D521 PAW registered?

D521 PAW is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 11 August 1986.

Is D521 PAW safe to buy?

The MOT history for D521 PAW shows 20 tests with a 65% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does D521 PAW 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 D521 PAW. 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.