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F12 DEF

1989 Land Rover Defender

Silver Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Jun 2027
Tests18 (12 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

161,019 mi
Last recorded161,019 miles
Recorded on24 Jun 2026
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 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

RegistrationF12 DEF
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourSilver
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 6 fail
Pass 24 Jun 2026 161,019 miles

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

Front chassis cross brace damaged/corroded

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn hockey stick bushes (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

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

Rear exhaust catching on chassis

Pass 23 Jan 2025 159,733 miles
Pass 14 Dec 2023 158,838 miles
Pass 4 Aug 2022 157,335 miles
Fail 3 Aug 2022 157,335 miles

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure is deformed and structural rigidity is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (a) (i))

Power steering component leaking steering box leaking fluid (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 13 Aug 2021 155,151 miles
Fail 11 Aug 2021 155,151 miles

Exhaust system insecure rear mounting broken (6.1.2 (a))

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Offside Front Vehicle structure is deformed and structural rigidity is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (a) (i))

Rear Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Rear fog lamp switch inoperative (4.5.3 (a))

Steering box has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) drop arm loose (2.3 (a) (i))

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm ball joint boot (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Rear Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 17 Aug 2020 153,236 miles
Pass 21 Aug 2019 150,584 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

Pass 4 Oct 2017 149,592 miles

Oil leak

Pass 30 Sep 2016 145,212 miles
Pass 9 Oct 2015 141,108 miles

centre lap belt inop

front discs not covered

steering wheel slightly loose

wheel studs not coming through nuts

wipers do not clear centre of screen belive it to be design of vehicle

Fail 9 Oct 2015 141,108 miles

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

centre lap belt inop

front discs not covered

steering wheel slightly loose

wheel studs not coming through nuts

wipers do not clear centre of screen belive it to be design of vehicle

Fail 22 Apr 2010 141,105 miles

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

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

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

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Offside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

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

Nearside Front Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated (2.5.C.1a)

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated (2.5.C.1a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

both front tyres cracked but no cords exposed

nearside rear tyre cracked but no cords exposed

Pass 27 Nov 2007 140,331 miles
Fail 19 Nov 2007 140,328 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Fuel tank leaking (7.2.3)

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

Offside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Pass 23 Oct 2006 136,271 miles
Fail 14 Oct 2006 136,248 miles

Driver's door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Nearside Headlamp excessively damaged so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

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

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

Power steering component(s) leaking from a failed seal (2.3.3b)

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

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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F12 DEF is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Silver with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 F12 DEF, 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 F12 DEF?

You can check the full history of F12 DEF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F12 DEF registered?

F12 DEF is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 4 April 1989.

Is F12 DEF safe to buy?

The MOT history for F12 DEF shows 18 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 F12 DEF 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 F12 DEF. 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.