CarVerify

Free Car Check

F397 RDX

1989 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 Jul 2027
Tests28 (21 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

142,262 mi
Last recorded142,262 miles
Recorded on8 Jul 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
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £14.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationF397 RDX
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

21 pass 7 fail
Pass 8 Jul 2026 142,262 miles

Central Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material showing signs of surface rust/corosion. (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive engine area. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive transmision area. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 7 Jul 2026 142,262 miles

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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

Rear Service brake imbalanced across an axle suspect due to loss of oil from hub/seal (advise clean off) (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Central Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material showing signs of surface rust/corosion. (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive engine area. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive transmision area. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 30 Jul 2025 139,226 miles

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

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Pass 23 Jul 2024 136,169 miles
Fail 22 Jul 2024 136,169 miles

Brake lever has insufficient reserve travel (1.1.2 (a))

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (4.1.2 (a))

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

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 7 Dec 2023 135,732 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Pass 7 Feb 2023 134,272 miles

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

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

Pass 16 Feb 2022 131,842 miles

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

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

Fail 15 Feb 2022 131,841 miles

Nearside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt rear joint (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Steering box fixing bolts ineffective lower bolt not long enough to allow lock nut to be effective due to addition of extra fitting (2.1.2 (c) (i))

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

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

power steering pump belt out of adjustment allowing occasional malfunction of power steering

Pass 4 Feb 2021 128,593 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 6 Feb 2020 125,851 miles

Engine oil on min mark

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

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

Fail 3 Feb 2020 125,838 miles

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

Engine oil on min mark

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

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

Pass 11 Feb 2019 123,066 miles

Offside Front hub leaking slightly

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

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

Fail 4 Feb 2019 123,064 miles

All position lamps adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen materially affected by an obstruction item on mirror (3.1 (a) (ii))

Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak unable to test (8.2.2.1 (b))

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Exhaust system insecure (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Position lamp showing white light to the rear led light on roof illuminates with side lights (4.2.3 (a) (ii))

Steering box leaking to the extent that oil is dripping (2.1.1 (e) (ii))

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

Offside Front hub leaking slightly

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

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

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

Pass 19 Feb 2018 120,797 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2017 120,198 miles
Pass 19 Feb 2016 119,027 miles
Fail 18 Feb 2016

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

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

Pass 20 Feb 2015 117,163 miles

slight play in rear p/shaft u/j

Pass 21 Feb 2014 114,990 miles
Pass 28 Jan 2013 111,115 miles
Pass 10 Feb 2012 108,945 miles
Pass 4 Feb 2011 107,121 miles
Fail 2 Feb 2011 107,100 miles

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

n/s/f and o/s/f shock mounting tops corroided but not excessivle

Pass 22 Jan 2010 107,100 miles

FRONT TO REAR METEL BRAKE PIPES STARTED TO CORRODE

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

Pass 20 Aug 2008 100,373 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2007 92,918 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2006 83,433 miles

Front axel bushs started to wear

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

F397 RDX is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in White with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

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 F397 RDX, 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 F397 RDX?

You can check the full history of F397 RDX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F397 RDX registered?

F397 RDX is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 14 February 1989.

Is F397 RDX safe to buy?

The MOT history for F397 RDX shows 28 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F397 RDX 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 F397 RDX. 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.