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F473 RSE

1989 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires11 Dec 2026
Tests25 (18 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate72%

Mileage

128,335 mi
Last recorded128,335 miles
Recorded on12 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
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF473 RSE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourGreen
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

18 pass 7 fail
Pass 12 Dec 2025 128,335 miles
Pass 16 Jan 2024 127,581 miles

Front both inner wheel arches rotten

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

Fail 9 Jan 2024 127,543 miles

Driver's door does not latch securely closed (6.2.3 (a))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front 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))

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

Driver's door likely to open inadvertently or not remain closed (6.2.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Intermediate drop arm insecure to the extent there is excessive movement at the mountings (2.1.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Front both inner wheel arches rotten

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

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

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

Pass 16 Jan 2023 124,863 miles

body corrosion

Fail 10 Jan 2023 124,751 miles

Offside Front Suspension rod pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Prop shaft joint excessively worn (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

body corrosion

Pass 17 Dec 2021 121,522 miles

Nearside Front Signs of Grease Around Hub Behind Brake Disc

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

Offside Rear Suspension rod pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Axle end (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 18 Dec 2020 115,572 miles

Front Both wheel ache liners heavily corroded

Fuel filler neck corroded

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

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

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

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 4 Dec 2020 115,133 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear fog lamp tell-tale not working (4.9.1 (a) (ii))

Front Both wheel ache liners heavily corroded

Fuel filler neck corroded

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

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

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

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 9 Jan 2020 111,376 miles
Pass 8 Mar 2019 109,357 miles
Pass 5 Feb 2018 106,537 miles

Nearside Front HUB SEAL SLIGHT OIL LEAK

Pass 30 Jan 2017 106,410 miles
Pass 6 Feb 2016 106,135 miles
Fail 5 Feb 2016 106,135 miles

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Pass 4 Feb 2015 105,806 miles
Pass 12 Nov 2013 105,593 miles

Nearside Front Upper Front suspension has slight movement at a suspension ball joint (2.5.A.1c)

Pass 14 Nov 2012 105,073 miles

Oil leak

Fail 2 Nov 2012 105,073 miles

Emissions not tested (7.0)

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

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Power steering inoperative (2.3.3a)

Oil leak

Pass 31 Oct 2011 104,824 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Fail 14 May 2010 104,809 miles

Nearside Front Radius arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded and its strength is seriously reduced (2.4.G.1)

Offside Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (3.6.C.3)

Pass 18 May 2009 104,328 miles
Fail 13 May 2009 104,328 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Pass 14 May 2008 103,352 miles

o/s and n/s front floor corroded

o/s and n/s rear tyres slightly perished

Pass 11 May 2007 102,318 miles
Pass 5 May 2006 101,159 miles

Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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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F473 RSE is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72%.

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 F473 RSE, 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 F473 RSE?

You can check the full history of F473 RSE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F473 RSE registered?

F473 RSE is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 20 March 1989.

Is F473 RSE safe to buy?

The MOT history for F473 RSE shows 25 tests with a 72% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F473 RSE 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 F473 RSE. 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.