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F123 DCW

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 May 2027
Tests10 (6 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

125,360 mi
Last recorded125,360 miles
Recorded on25 May 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

RegistrationF123 DCW
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

6 pass 4 fail
Pass 25 May 2026 125,360 miles

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

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

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

Fail 19 May 2026 125,359 miles

Nearside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Service brake is causing the vehicle to swerve to the offside (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Pass 31 Jan 2025 124,713 miles
Pass 19 Feb 2010 124,313 miles
Fail 4 Feb 2010 124,313 miles

Nearside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear reflector not red in colour (1.5.1d)

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Pass 17 Dec 2008 117,251 miles

corrosion on rear cross member and chassis outside prescribed area

slight oil leak from steering box

Pass 3 Jul 2007 109,825 miles
Fail 28 Jun 2007 109,825 miles

Front Steering component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.2.C.1h)

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

Nearside Front Steering component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.2.C.1h)

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

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front Steering component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.2.C.1h)

Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

corrosion throughout vehicle

inside of front discs rusty

oil leaks on engine

Pass 29 Jun 2006 105,610 miles
Fail 27 Jun 2006 105,610 miles

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

Front Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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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F123 DCW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 10 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

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 F123 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 F123 DCW?

You can check the full history of F123 DCW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F123 DCW registered?

F123 DCW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 5 July 1989.

Is F123 DCW safe to buy?

The MOT history for F123 DCW shows 10 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F123 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 F123 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.