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F153 BDW

1989 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Dec 2026
Tests14 (10 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

140,806 mi
Last recorded140,806 miles
Recorded on20 Dec 2025
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF153 BDW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourWhite
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

10 pass 4 fail
Pass 20 Dec 2025 140,806 miles

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component power steering pump (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 20 Dec 2024 139,486 miles

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

Pass 20 Dec 2023 139,123 miles
Fail 20 Dec 2023 139,123 miles

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

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 28 Dec 2022 138,259 miles
Pass 21 Dec 2021 137,452 miles
Pass 22 Dec 2020 136,673 miles

Front Exhaust mounting defective bracket cracked (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm front bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm front bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 22 Dec 2020 136,673 miles

Front Exhaust mounting defective bracket cracked (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm front bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm front bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen (3.5 (a))

Pass 24 Dec 2019 135,662 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material to caliper (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 24 Feb 2010 135,361 miles

Brake rod has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Front registration plate obscured (6.3.1d)

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

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

Offside Front Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Upper Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Body has a sharp edge caused by corrosion (6.1.C.1)

Offside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

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

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

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

Steering component mounting prescribed area is fractured (2.2.C.1h)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Lower Steering column universal joint has slight play (2.1.5)

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

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

Nearside Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Power steering pump has slight seepage from a seal (2.3.3b)

both rear chassis legs swollen with corrosion within rear spring mounting areas

power steering pump drive belt slipping/coated in oil

Pass 4 Feb 2009 133,272 miles

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

Oil leak

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 28 Aug 2007 129,537 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

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

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Nearside Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Offside Front Brake actuating linkage mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (3.3.A.2)

Offside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

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

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

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

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Oil leak

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

Steering column universal joint is slightly deteriorated (2.1.5)

rear numberplate seporating but readable

side lamp telltale inoprative

front doors heavily corroded

nearside hindges sizzed and over stressing the weakened door

Pass 3 Apr 2006 129,289 miles

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

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

Offside Front Body has slight displacement of the body relative to the chassis (6.1.B.1a)

Offside Front Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Rear Axle swivel joint has slight play (2.5.A.3b)

Fail 28 Mar 2006 129,288 miles

Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Offside Front Body has slight displacement of the body relative to the chassis (6.1.B.1a)

rear axle ball joint has slight play

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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F153 BDW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in White with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 14 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 F153 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 F153 BDW?

You can check the full history of F153 BDW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F153 BDW registered?

F153 BDW is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 8 March 1989.

Is F153 BDW safe to buy?

The MOT history for F153 BDW shows 14 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F153 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 F153 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.