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F40 RBF

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires10 Mar 2027
Tests26 (17 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate65.4%

Mileage

100,639 mi
Last recorded100,639 miles
Recorded on11 Mar 2026
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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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF40 RBF
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

17 pass 9 fail
Pass 11 Mar 2026 100,639 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

General underbody corrosion inc chassis

Nearside Front Battery box corroded

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Fail 22 May 2024 100,613 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn radius arm bushes (front) (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Stub axle has excessive vertical movement between stub axle and axle beam bottom swivel (5.1.2 (c) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn radius arm bushes (front) (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength near coil spring (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Pass 21 Feb 2023 97,601 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Fail 21 Feb 2023 97,601 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 7 Mar 2022 96,991 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Pass 5 Mar 2021 96,029 miles

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive chassis (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 25 Feb 2020 95,181 miles

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

Fail 25 Feb 2020 95,181 miles

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

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

Pass 2 Mar 2019 94,220 miles
Fail 1 Mar 2019 94,210 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 23 Feb 2018 92,543 miles
Pass 9 Mar 2017 89,771 miles
Fail 1 Mar 2017 89,739 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting cross member and chassis (6.6.6)

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is inadequately repaired arm mounting (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting crossmember and chassis (6.6.6)

Offside center chassis drain hole is corroded

Pass 22 Feb 2016 87,444 miles
Pass 20 Mar 2015 84,743 miles
Fail 25 Nov 2014 84,731 miles

Headlamp switch faulty (1.7.1)

Nearside Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Offside Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

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

Pass 4 Feb 2014 84,606 miles
Fail 28 Jan 2014 84,954 miles

Front Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 16 Feb 2012 84,491 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2012 84,445 miles

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

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

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

Pass 29 Sep 2010 83,728 miles

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Fail 28 Sep 2010 83,722 miles

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid level below minimum level (3.6.G.1b)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade missing (8.2.2)

Offside Front Brake pipe leaking (3.6.A.1)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b)

Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1a)

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Pass 28 May 2009 83,236 miles

Brake pedal alittle soft

Brake pipe slightly damaged (2.2.D.2b)

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

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

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

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Pass 4 Jun 2008 82,719 miles
Pass 24 May 2007 82,090 miles
Pass 4 Apr 2006 81,707 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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F40 RBF is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.4%.

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 a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 F40 RBF, 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 F40 RBF?

You can check the full history of F40 RBF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F40 RBF registered?

F40 RBF is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 April 1989.

Is F40 RBF safe to buy?

The MOT history for F40 RBF shows 26 tests with a 65.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F40 RBF 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 F40 RBF. 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.