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F281 LOD

1989 Land Rover Defender

Yellow Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Oct 2026
Tests23 (17 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate73.9%

Mileage

132,459 mi
Last recorded132,459 miles
Recorded on17 Oct 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF281 LOD
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourYellow
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

17 pass 6 fail
Pass 17 Oct 2025 132,459 miles
Fail 14 Oct 2025 132,446 miles

Offside Front Outer Seat belt webbing significantly weakened cut greater than 4mm (7.1.2 (b))

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength shock turret (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting out tigger behind front wheel (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 27 Sep 2024 131,949 miles

Rear Inner Suspension arm ball joint has slight play Above axle (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Sep 2023 131,029 miles

Nearside Front Vehicle structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security Behind front wheel (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 30 Sep 2022 127,378 miles
Fail 13 Sep 2022 127,361 miles

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers damaged to the extent that it does not function (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded At caliper (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering REAR CROSSMEMBER (6.1.1 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Steering box has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel to the extent that safe steering is affected (steering box fitted) DROP ARM LOOSE AND BOOT SPLIT (2.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 13 Sep 2021 125,432 miles
Pass 26 Feb 2021 124,677 miles
Pass 10 Jun 2020 124,132 miles
Pass 18 Dec 2018 123,730 miles
Pass 22 May 2018 122,227 miles
Pass 15 May 2017 120,218 miles
Pass 11 Mar 2016 117,191 miles
Pass 5 Sep 2014 114,556 miles
Pass 17 Nov 2009 111,321 miles
Pass 15 Nov 2008 108,212 miles
Fail 13 Nov 2008 108,212 miles

Nearside Rear Exhaust mounting missing (7.1.1b)

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

Pass 21 Nov 2007 104,417 miles
Fail 20 Nov 2007 104,417 miles

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

Nearside Steering damper fractured and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Pass 3 Nov 2006 99,846 miles
Fail 2 Nov 2006 99,846 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Pass 19 Oct 2005 95,757 miles
Fail 18 Oct 2005 95,746 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Lower Front passenger door does not latch securely closed (6.2.B.1a)

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to obstruct correct operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

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

Offside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to obstruct correct operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

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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F281 LOD is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Yellow with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.9%.

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 F281 LOD, 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 F281 LOD?

You can check the full history of F281 LOD by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F281 LOD registered?

F281 LOD is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 3 April 1989.

Is F281 LOD safe to buy?

The MOT history for F281 LOD shows 23 tests with a 73.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F281 LOD 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 F281 LOD. 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.