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F697 LVJ

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires12 Mar 2026
Tests27 (17 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate63%

Mileage

148,050 mi
Last recorded148,050 miles
Recorded on13 Mar 2025
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF697 LVJ
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 10 fail
Pass 13 Mar 2025 148,050 miles

Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed Both front (7.1.2 (b))

Nearside Cab or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security Lower bulkhead (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm mounting modified but not seriously weakened "A" arm NS securing bolt of wrong length (5.3.3 (c) (i))

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

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

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Pitman arm balljoint (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Pass 6 Feb 2024 146,484 miles

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

Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive hub (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch x4 ()

Pass 20 Dec 2022 146,477 miles

Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch x4 ()

Pass 4 Jan 2021 146,477 miles

Exhaust noisy (8.1.1 (a))

Pass 6 Sep 2019 145,769 miles

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Pass 4 Sep 2018 144,781 miles
Fail 4 Sep 2018 144,781 miles

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

Pass 2 Sep 2017 144,166 miles

Nearside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Fail 2 Sep 2017 144,166 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 29 Jul 2016 138,707 miles

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

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 17 Apr 2015 136,424 miles
Fail 16 Apr 2015 136,418 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Steering box has a significant oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

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

Pass 10 Mar 2014 131,652 miles

NS mirror damaged

Nearside Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch

Fail 6 Mar 2014 131,552 miles

Brake performance not tested (3.7.A.1)

Nearside Rear Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate (1.1.C.1e)

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h) DANGEROUS

NS mirror damaged

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Offside Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch

Pass 18 Mar 2013 125,170 miles

Nearside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

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

Offside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

Fail 8 Mar 2013 125,064 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Service brake is causing the vehicle to swerve to the nearside (3.7.C.2)

Nearside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

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

Offside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage from a joint (2.3.3b)

Pass 3 Mar 2012 121,307 miles
Fail 27 Feb 2012 121,276 miles

Centre Track rod end deformed and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

Horn is a siren (1.6.2c)

Nearside Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

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

Pass 4 Feb 2011 120,354 miles

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Fail 4 Feb 2011 120,354 miles

Front registration plate obscured (6.3.1d)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Offside Front Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Front Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 4 Nov 2009 120,263 miles

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

Oil leak

Fail 27 Oct 2009 120,259 miles

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

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

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Oil leak

Pass 31 Oct 2008 119,589 miles
Fail 24 Oct 2008 119,580 miles

Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition off (1.4.B.1f)

Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition on (1.4.B.1f)

Indicator tell tale inoperative (1.4.A.2a)

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Front Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Pass 29 Oct 2007 119,231 miles
Pass 26 Oct 2006 118,214 miles
Fail 24 Oct 2006 118,214 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) excessively damaged so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) incomplete (1.1.4a)

Offside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

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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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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F697 LVJ is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63%.

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 F697 LVJ, 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 F697 LVJ?

You can check the full history of F697 LVJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F697 LVJ registered?

F697 LVJ is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 2 February 1989.

Is F697 LVJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for F697 LVJ shows 27 tests with a 63% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F697 LVJ 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 F697 LVJ. 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.