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F148 BDW

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Apr 2027
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

196,713 mi
Last recorded196,713 miles
Recorded on27 Mar 2026
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationF148 BDW
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

20 pass 9 fail
Pass 27 Mar 2026 196,713 miles
Pass 24 Mar 2025 193,536 miles
Pass 2 Apr 2024 191,757 miles
Pass 30 Mar 2023 187,507 miles
Pass 31 Mar 2022 181,088 miles

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

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 31 Mar 2021 173,923 miles
Fail 30 Mar 2021 173,874 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Nearside Front Headlamp reflector seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

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

Pass 30 Mar 2020 168,901 miles
Pass 22 Mar 2019 161,208 miles
Pass 19 Mar 2018 155,706 miles
Pass 22 Mar 2017 152,035 miles
Fail 15 Mar 2017 151,915 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside rear brake application uneven Is slow (3.7.B.2)

Pass 17 Mar 2016 143,352 miles
Fail 15 Mar 2016 143,282 miles

Brake pipe inadequately clipped on back axle (3.6.B.1)

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

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear rear brake application uneven slow (3.7.B.2)

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

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Pass 18 Mar 2015 137,971 miles
Pass 18 Mar 2014 130,475 miles
Fail 18 Mar 2014 130,475 miles

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 12 Mar 2013 118,457 miles
Pass 14 Mar 2012 107,922 miles
Pass 14 Mar 2011 101,959 miles
Fail 15 Mar 2010 96,030 miles

Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 15 Mar 2010 96,030 miles
Pass 18 Mar 2009 91,355 miles
Fail 17 Mar 2009 91,347 miles

Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Nearside Upper Axle king pin has excessive play in pin and/or bush adversely affecting the steering (2.5.A.3a)

Offside Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Lower Axle king pin has excessive play in pin and/or bush adversely affecting the steering (2.5.A.3a)

Pass 15 Feb 2008 87,374 miles

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 15 Feb 2008 87,369 miles

Nearside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Fail 7 Feb 2008 87,357 miles

Nearside Drag link end loose (2.2.B.1d)

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

Nearside Steering locking device missing (2.2.C.1g)

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

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Lower Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

Pass 3 Oct 2006 80,061 miles
Fail 28 Sep 2006 79,966 miles

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

Nearside Front Drag link 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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F148 BDW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

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 F148 BDW, 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 F148 BDW?

You can check the full history of F148 BDW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F148 BDW registered?

F148 BDW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 6 March 1989.

Is F148 BDW safe to buy?

The MOT history for F148 BDW shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F148 BDW 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 F148 BDW. 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.