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F538 LTT

1989 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires15 May 2027
Tests27 (21 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

103,737 mi
Last recorded103,737 miles
Recorded on16 May 2026
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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF538 LTT
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

21 pass 6 fail
Pass 16 May 2026 103,737 miles

Central Rear Sub-frame ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 6 May 2025 95,066 miles
Fail 25 Apr 2025 95,063 miles

Fuel system component leaking (6.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 1 May 2024 85,661 miles
Fail 30 Apr 2024 85,661 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Shock absorbers likely to become detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Lower Shock absorbers likely to become detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Direction indicator flashing less than 60 times a minute (4.4.4 (a))

Pass 26 Apr 2023 76,719 miles

N/s/rear chassis corroded

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

Wipers poor

Fail 26 Apr 2023 76,719 miles

N/s/rear chassis corroded

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

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

Wipers poor

Pass 21 Mar 2022 76,431 miles

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

Pass 10 Mar 2021 75,814 miles
Pass 19 Mar 2020 75,583 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2019 75,382 miles
Pass 24 Jan 2018 75,013 miles
Pass 30 Jan 2017 74,683 miles
Pass 24 Nov 2015 74,448 miles

Fuel tank support badly corroded, holed & breaking away

Slight play at steering wheel

Pass 24 Nov 2014 73,893 miles

slight oil leak

Pass 1 Nov 2013 73,190 miles
Pass 27 Nov 2012 70,016 miles
Fail 15 Nov 2012 70,012 miles

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive movement between a swivel joint and its housing (2.5.A.1b)

Offside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive movement between a swivel joint and its housing (2.5.A.1b)

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 14 Nov 2011 68,540 miles
Pass 11 Mar 2011 66,241 miles

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

Pass 11 Mar 2010 63,405 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2009 61,202 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2008 56,774 miles
Pass 9 Mar 2007 52,775 miles
Fail 6 Mar 2007 52,775 miles

Offside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Pass 2 Mar 2006 46,490 miles
Fail 1 Mar 2006 46,490 miles

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) leaking from a joint (2.3.3b)

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

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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F538 LTT is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.8%.

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 F538 LTT, 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 F538 LTT?

You can check the full history of F538 LTT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F538 LTT registered?

F538 LTT is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 26 May 1989.

Is F538 LTT safe to buy?

The MOT history for F538 LTT shows 27 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F538 LTT 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 F538 LTT. 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.