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F178 RTC

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires21 Sep 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

104,839 mi
Last recorded104,839 miles
Recorded on22 Sep 2025
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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF178 RTC
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

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 22 Sep 2025 104,839 miles
Fail 11 Sep 2025 104,828 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit (8.2.2.2 (a))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Pass 30 Aug 2024 104,390 miles
Pass 31 Jul 2023 104,003 miles

Offside Rear Service brake grabbing slightly (1.2.1 (c))

Pass 10 Aug 2022 103,580 miles
Pass 9 Aug 2021 103,116 miles

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

Pass 20 Aug 2020 102,768 miles
Fail 18 Aug 2020 102,765 miles

Nearside Rear Towbar excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Offside Rear Towbar excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

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

Pass 24 Jul 2019 102,337 miles

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour but not likely to obscure the vision of other road users (8.2.2.2 (c))

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

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

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

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

Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Fail 22 Jul 2019 102,333 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (8.2.2.2 (b))

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

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

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour likely to obscure the vision of other road users (8.2.2.2 (c)) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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

Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 2 Mar 2018 99,618 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Oil leak ()

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

Pass 6 Mar 2017 95,781 miles

Offside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Oil leak ()

Pass 4 Mar 2016 91,505 miles
Pass 9 Mar 2015 87,778 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2014 85,425 miles
Fail 10 Mar 2014 85,416 miles

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear Towbar component excessively corroded (6.6.1)

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

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

Offside Rear Towbar component excessively corroded (6.6.1)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear Towbar component excessively corroded (6.6.1)

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

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Pass 27 Feb 2013 82,596 miles

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

Pass 2 Mar 2012 79,539 miles

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

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

Fail 29 Feb 2012 79,533 miles

Front registration plate letter/figure incomplete (6.3.1c)

Hazard warning switch missing (1.4.B.1d)

Offside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

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

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

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

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

Pass 5 Aug 2010 74,710 miles

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

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

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

o/s tractor joint leaking

Fail 5 Aug 2010 74,702 miles

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

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

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

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

o/s tractor joint leaking

Pass 4 Aug 2009 71,436 miles
Pass 4 Aug 2008 67,939 miles

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

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 6 Aug 2007 64,661 miles
Pass 8 Aug 2006 62,098 miles

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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F178 RTC is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76%.

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 F178 RTC, 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 F178 RTC?

You can check the full history of F178 RTC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F178 RTC registered?

F178 RTC is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 20 March 1989.

Is F178 RTC safe to buy?

The MOT history for F178 RTC shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F178 RTC 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 F178 RTC. 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.