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D974 CFH

1986 Land Rover Defender

Green Petrol 3947cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires14 Jan 2027
Tests17 (10 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate58.8%

Mileage

125,211 mi
Last recorded125,211 miles
Recorded on15 Jan 2026
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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationD974 CFH
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1986
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine3,947cc

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

10 pass 7 fail
Pass 15 Jan 2026 125,211 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 7 Jan 2025 124,601 miles

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

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

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

Offside Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Pass 27 Oct 2015 123,887 miles

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

Offside Front Ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt from steering box (2.2.C.1c)

Fail 27 Oct 2015 123,887 miles

Front position lamp(s) not working Both sides of car (1.1.A.3b)

Windscreen wiper not operating over a large enough area to give an adequate view (8.2.1c)

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

Offside Front Ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt from steering box (2.2.C.1c)

Pass 7 Aug 2014 120,078 miles

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

Oil leak

Pass 14 Aug 2013 117,118 miles
Fail 13 Aug 2013 117,078 miles

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

Pass 15 Aug 2012 113,684 miles
Fail 15 Aug 2012 113,680 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 4 Aug 2011 111,145 miles

During the test, smoke was noted to be emmiting from the dashboard indicating an electrical fault. After engine restart, it stopped smoking

Fail 26 Jul 2011 111,109 miles

Brake pedal has insufficient reserve movement (3.3.A.5)

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Fuel cap/sealing device missing (7.2.4a)

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

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

During the test, smoke was noted to be emmiting from the dashboard indicating an electrical fault. After engine restart, it stopped smoking

Pass 22 Jul 2010 108,582 miles
Fail 15 Jul 2010 108,577 miles

Rear Torque/reaction arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Fail 17 Jun 2009 105,995 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

Offside Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Propshaft component defective

Pass 17 Jun 2009 105,995 miles

Offside Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Propshaft component defective

Pass 16 Jun 2006 101,411 miles
Fail 9 Jun 2006 101,411 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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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D974 CFH is a 1986 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 3,947cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 58.8%.

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 D974 CFH, 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 D974 CFH?

You can check the full history of D974 CFH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was D974 CFH registered?

D974 CFH is a 1986 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 28 November 1986.

Is D974 CFH safe to buy?

The MOT history for D974 CFH shows 17 tests with a 58.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does D974 CFH 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 D974 CFH. 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.