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F981 BBG

1989 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Sep 2027
Tests24 (16 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

68,157 mi
Last recorded68,157 miles
Recorded on3 Sep 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

RegistrationF981 BBG
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourRed
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

16 pass 8 fail
Pass 3 Sep 2026 68,157 miles

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 21 Aug 2025 63,519 miles

Rear Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Pass 13 Jun 2024 59,919 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases turbo to front pipe joint (6.1.2 (a))

Fail 13 Oct 2022 59,836 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively damaged significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

Hazard warning tell-tale is not a flashing light (4.9.2 (a))

Nearside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Offside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

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

Slight movement at steering wheel mounting area

Pass 29 Oct 2021 59,460 miles
Fail 26 Oct 2021 59,459 miles

Offside 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))

Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 6 Oct 2020 58,654 miles

Bonnet cable detatched from slam panel

Nearside front seatbelt buckle plastic covers missing

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

Steering arm deformed but serviceable (2.1.3 (c) (i))

Transmission brake performance low

Pass 29 Apr 2019 57,232 miles

Alternator belt slack

Front number plate slightly discoloured

Nearside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

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

Nearside steering bar inner clamp has a bolt missing

Offside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

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

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

Oil leak, but not excessive Gearbox - front & rear differentials (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 29 Apr 2019 57,231 miles

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

Hazard warning switch inoperative (4.4.2 (a) (ii))

Nearside Direction indicator not working front, rear & side repeater (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Power steering malfunctioning Belt slipping (2.1.5 (a))

Alternator belt slack

Front number plate slightly discoloured

Nearside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

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

Nearside steering bar inner clamp has a bolt missing

Offside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

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

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

Oil leak, but not excessive Gearbox - front & rear differentials (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Power steering pump has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 4 May 2018 56,388 miles

Handbrake has travel

Offside rear half shaft has slight play in

Fail 4 May 2018 56,386 miles

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

Handbrake has travel

Offside rear half shaft has slight play in

Pass 23 Sep 2015 55,594 miles

POSSIBLE STEERING FLUID LEAK

handbrake has travel

possible brake light switch fault

Fail 14 Sep 2015 55,584 miles

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

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

POSSIBLE STEERING FLUID LEAK

handbrake has travel

possible brake light switch fault

Pass 17 Sep 2014 55,050 miles

Exhaust rear silencer corroded & blowing slightly

Offside rear spring lower seat corroded

Various oil leaks

Pass 22 Jun 2012 54,077 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Fail 21 Jun 2012 54,075 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 7 Sep 2011 53,833 miles
Fail 7 Sep 2011 53,833 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

catching noise on nsr wheel when rotated

nsr axle bump stop missing

Pass 27 Aug 2010 52,828 miles

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

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

Fail 10 Aug 2010 52,826 miles

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

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

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

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

Pass 17 Jun 2009 51,246 miles

hand brake binding slightly

Pass 20 Jun 2008 49,446 miles
Pass 18 Apr 2007 45,751 miles
Pass 7 Jul 2006 40,152 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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F981 BBG is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 F981 BBG, 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 F981 BBG?

You can check the full history of F981 BBG by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F981 BBG registered?

F981 BBG is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 11 June 1989.

Is F981 BBG safe to buy?

The MOT history for F981 BBG shows 24 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F981 BBG 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 F981 BBG. 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.