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F48 KYJ

1989 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Mar 2027
Tests29 (18 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate62.1%

Mileage

235,985 mi
Last recorded235,985 miles
Recorded on20 Mar 2026
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF48 KYJ
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 11 fail
Pass 20 Mar 2026 235,985 miles

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

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

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

Side repeater lens defective which has no effect on emitted light both sides (4.4.1 (b) (i))

vehicle modified for off road use

Pass 20 May 2023 230,116 miles

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

chip in windsreen

Pass 28 Mar 2022 221,264 miles

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

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

chip in windscreen

Pass 23 Mar 2021 209,502 miles

chip in windscreen

Fail 23 Mar 2021 209,502 miles

Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp offside indicator comes on (4.2.3 (c))

chip in windscreen

Pass 6 Mar 2020 199,488 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Fail 6 Mar 2020 199,481 miles

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

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Trailer electrical socket insecure (4.10 (a) (i))

Pass 17 Oct 2018 185,695 miles

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

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 28 Sep 2017 177,927 miles

PAS steering box is moist

chassis in general is corroded

general oil leaks

nearside middle body mount corroded

nsf hub oil leak

osf and nsf wheel bearings have light play

Fail 18 Sep 2017 177,929 miles

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

Brake pipe excessively corroded osf,nsf,osr (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded nsr suspension damper (2.4.A.3)

Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded osr chassis (2.4.A.3)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

PAS steering box is moist

chassis in general is corroded

general oil leaks

nearside middle body mount corroded

nsf hub oil leak

osf and nsf wheel bearings have light play

Pass 28 Sep 2016 171,856 miles

front tyres wearing inner edges

ns mirror glass deteriated

nsf and nsr body mounts and areas corroded

nsr chassis rail corroded

osr chassis rail corroded to mot limits

pas box slight leak

slight front wheel bearing play

Fail 28 Sep 2016 171,856 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

front tyres wearing inner edges

ns mirror glass deteriated

nsf and nsr body mounts and areas corroded

nsr chassis rail corroded

osr chassis rail corroded to mot limits

pas box slight leak

slight front wheel bearing play

Pass 11 Aug 2015 166,805 miles

Nearside body mount stay rusted.

front prop.rear u/j has slight play.

Fail 5 Aug 2015 166,805 miles

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively blade split (8.2.2)

Nearside Windscreen wiper not operating automatically when switched on (8.2.1b)

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases box holed (7.1.2)

Nearside body mount stay rusted.

front prop.rear u/j has slight play.

Pass 26 Sep 2014 164,121 miles

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

both front hub seals slight leak

nsr body stay corroded

osf body floor corroded

rear brake discs corroded

rear exhaust box and hangers deteriated

slight PAS pipes leak in engine bay

Fail 16 Sep 2014 164,121 miles

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

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

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

Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

both front hub seals slight leak

nsr body stay corroded

osf body floor corroded

rear brake discs corroded

rear exhaust box and hangers deteriated

slight PAS pipes leak in engine bay

Pass 18 Oct 2013 161,403 miles

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

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

exhaust rubbers perished

nsr body outrigger corroded

nsr brake pipe poorly fitted

rear brake discs corroded

Pass 5 Oct 2012 157,267 miles

both front hub seals leaking

nsr body mount corroded

steering free play close to limit

Fail 28 Sep 2012 157,267 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (5.2.5b)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

both front hub seals leaking

both front wheel bearings light roughness

nsr body mount corroded

steering free play close to limit

Pass 13 Sep 2011 153,896 miles

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

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

rear brake disc/s scored

Fail 12 Sep 2011 153,881 miles

Nearside Front Upper Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

rear brake disc/s scored

Pass 29 Sep 2010 146,934 miles
Fail 21 Sep 2010 146,920 miles

Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

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

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

Nearside Front Direction indicator flashing more than 120 times a minute (1.4.A.2g)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Side repeater flashing more than 120 times a minute (1.4.A.2g)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Wheel nut(s) missing (4.2.A.1e)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c) DANGEROUS

Power steering malfunctioning (2.3.3a) DANGEROUS

Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b) DANGEROUS

Steering system excessively tight (2.2.D.1) DANGEROUS

Pass 7 Nov 2008 138,448 miles
Fail 30 Oct 2008 138,444 miles

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

Centre Exhaust mounting missing (7.1.1b)

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Stop lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.2.1f)

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber insecure (2.7.2b)

Power steering inoperative (2.3.3a)

Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Seat belt insecurely fixed to the vehicles structure (5.2.1a)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

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

Pass 14 Aug 2007 131,634 miles
Pass 2 Aug 2006 124,655 miles
Fail 1 Aug 2006 124,655 miles

Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.2.B.1a)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 9 Aug 2005 116,857 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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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.

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F48 KYJ is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.1%.

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 F48 KYJ, 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 F48 KYJ?

You can check the full history of F48 KYJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F48 KYJ registered?

F48 KYJ is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 9 January 1989.

Is F48 KYJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for F48 KYJ shows 29 tests with a 62.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F48 KYJ 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 F48 KYJ. 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.