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F121 DCW

1989 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Jul 2027
Tests17 (12 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate70.6%

Mileage

124,680 mi
Last recorded124,680 miles
Recorded on16 Jun 2026
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 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

RegistrationF121 DCW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourGreen
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 5 fail
Pass 16 Jun 2026 124,680 miles

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

Nearside Front Front passenger door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

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

Nearside Rear bump stop missing

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

Offside Front Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported (1.1.11 (d) (i))

Offside Front Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

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

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

acceptable movement detected at both sides front tractor joints

Fail 11 Jun 2026 124,680 miles

Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (7.1.2 (e))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Front Front passenger door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported (1.1.11 (d) (i))

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

Nearside Rear bump stop missing

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

Offside Front Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported (1.1.11 (d) (i))

Offside Front Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

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

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

acceptable movement detected at both sides front tractor joints

Pass 5 Jul 2025 124,394 miles
Pass 15 Dec 2014 119,248 miles

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

Fail 15 Dec 2014 119,227 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Offside Obligatory mirror missing (8.1.1)

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

Pass 7 Nov 2013 115,812 miles

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

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

Fail 5 Nov 2013 115,795 miles

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

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 11 Sep 2012 114,139 miles

Corrosion nearside front outrigger

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) slightly discoloured (1.1.A.3e)

Offside front body mount bracket corroded. (in line with door pillar)

Pass 12 Sep 2011 113,427 miles
Pass 9 Sep 2010 112,012 miles
Fail 9 Sep 2010 112,012 miles

Brake pipe leaking (3.6.A.1)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 9 Sep 2009 110,600 miles

Slight play 'A' frame ball joint above rear diff

Pass 8 Sep 2008 109,104 miles

Nearside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Power steering pipes on front member corroding

Rear Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Pass 13 Sep 2007 107,538 miles

Nearside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Rear U/J of rear prop shaft slight wear

Pass 8 Sep 2006 106,574 miles

Nearside front shocker top corroding

Pass 1 Sep 2005 105,552 miles
Fail 31 Aug 2005 105,552 miles

Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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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F121 DCW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.6%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 F121 DCW, 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 F121 DCW?

You can check the full history of F121 DCW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F121 DCW registered?

F121 DCW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 11 July 1989.

Is F121 DCW safe to buy?

The MOT history for F121 DCW shows 17 tests with a 70.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F121 DCW 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 F121 DCW. 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.