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F883 VRL

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Petrol 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 Dec 2026
Tests32 (21 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate65.6%

Mileage

72,239 mi
Last recorded72,239 miles
Recorded on24 Nov 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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationF883 VRL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
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 11 fail
Pass 24 Nov 2025 72,239 miles

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

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

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

Pass 25 Nov 2024 72,024 miles
Fail 25 Nov 2024 72,017 miles

Central Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover missing 'A' bar (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 22 Nov 2023 71,191 miles

steering box weeping fluid

underside heavily undersealed

Pass 15 Dec 2022 70,890 miles

underside heavily undersealed

Pass 15 Dec 2021 70,590 miles

underside heavily undersealed

Pass 11 Dec 2020 69,994 miles

Offside Front Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush top & bottom bush (5.3.2 (c))

Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively both front (1.2.1 (e))

Fail 10 Dec 2020 69,991 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Offside Front Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush top & bottom bush (5.3.2 (c))

Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively both front (1.2.1 (e))

Pass 6 Dec 2019 69,234 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material all metal pipes (1.1.11 (c))

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

Nearside Front hub seal slightly leaking

Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Rear shock absorber bushes worn

underside heavily undersealed

Pass 5 Dec 2018 68,171 miles
Fail 5 Dec 2018 68,171 miles

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 28 Nov 2017 67,077 miles
Fail 28 Nov 2017 67,077 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Pass 8 Dec 2016 65,977 miles
Fail 8 Dec 2016 65,977 miles

Nearside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Pass 7 Dec 2015 64,818 miles
Fail 7 Dec 2015 64,818 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Pass 4 Dec 2014 63,924 miles
Pass 4 Dec 2013 62,707 miles
Fail 2 Dec 2013 62,698 miles

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 29 Nov 2012 61,368 miles
Fail 28 Nov 2012 61,362 miles

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 23 Nov 2011 60,004 miles
Pass 6 Dec 2010 58,863 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2009 57,117 miles
Fail 30 Nov 2009 57,117 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp emits a light other than red (1.3.2e)

nearside rear brake has slight bind when rotated by hand .

Pass 3 Dec 2008 55,562 miles
Fail 1 Dec 2008 55,562 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 15 Dec 2007 54,089 miles
Fail 13 Dec 2007 54,089 miles

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

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Pass 27 Nov 2006 51,574 miles

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

Power steering pump has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Pass 14 Dec 2005 48,776 miles

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

brake pipes under vehicle coated in underseal

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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F883 VRL is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 32 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.6%.

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 F883 VRL, 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 F883 VRL?

You can check the full history of F883 VRL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F883 VRL registered?

F883 VRL is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 24 January 1989.

Is F883 VRL safe to buy?

The MOT history for F883 VRL shows 32 tests with a 65.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F883 VRL 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 F883 VRL. 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.