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D597 NRL

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2498cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires9 Oct 2026
Tests15 (10 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

165,539 mi
Last recorded165,539 miles
Recorded on10 Oct 2025
Typical for 1986 Land Rover Defender124,952 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationD597 NRL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,498cc

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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

10 pass 5 fail
Pass 10 Oct 2025 165,539 miles

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

Pass 7 Oct 2024 157,506 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2023 144,836 miles

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

Pass 29 Sep 2022 130,735 miles

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

Fail 29 Sep 2022 130,735 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too far to the right (4.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 22 Sep 2021 120,045 miles

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

Fail 22 Sep 2021 120,045 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 23 Sep 2020 110,705 miles
Fail 23 Sep 2020 110,705 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too far to the right (4.1.2 (a))

Pass 24 Mar 2015 110,032 miles
Pass 25 Mar 2014 109,863 miles
Fail 24 Mar 2014 109,847 miles

Brake pedal creeps down when held under pressure (3.3.B.1a)

Exhaust emits excessive dense blue smoke during acceleration (7.3.A.2c)

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

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear Brake pedal does not operate a brake fitted to each wheel (3.3.A.3)

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

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 21 Mar 2013 108,988 miles

slight oil leek

Pass 8 Nov 2012 106,429 miles
Fail 5 Nov 2012 106,429 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

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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D597 NRL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,498cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 15 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 D597 NRL, 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 D597 NRL?

You can check the full history of D597 NRL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was D597 NRL registered?

D597 NRL is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 1986.

Is D597 NRL safe to buy?

The MOT history for D597 NRL shows 15 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 D597 NRL 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 D597 NRL. 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.