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G161 VNR

1989 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires15 Apr 2027
Tests23 (15 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate65.2%

Mileage

86,569 mi
Last recorded86,569 miles
Recorded on16 Apr 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

RegistrationG161 VNR
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourWhite
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

15 pass 8 fail
Pass 16 Apr 2026 86,569 miles
Pass 23 Oct 2019 86,470 miles
Fail 22 Oct 2019 86,470 miles

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

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

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

Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Pass 26 Oct 2018 86,262 miles
Pass 26 Oct 2017 85,959 miles

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

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

slight corrosion in nearside front footwell

Fail 26 Oct 2017 85,958 miles

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

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

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

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

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

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

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

slight corrosion in nearside front footwell

Pass 27 Oct 2016 85,885 miles

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

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded across axle (3.6.B.2c)

Rear exhaust corroded

Fail 26 Oct 2016 85,884 miles

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play steering arm from steering box play (2.2.B.1f) DANGEROUS

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

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded across axle (3.6.B.2c)

Rear exhaust corroded

Pass 13 Oct 2015 85,824 miles

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

all brake pipes slightly corroded

oil leak

Fail 13 Oct 2015 85,823 miles

Body has a sharp edge caused by corrosion front bumper (6.1.C.1)

Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (8.4.1)

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Power steering component(s) leaking (2.3.3b)

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

all brake pipes slightly corroded

oil leak

Pass 24 Oct 2014 85,550 miles

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

Nearside Inner Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Oil leak

Fail 24 Oct 2014 85,550 miles

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

Nearside Inner Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

Oil leak

Pass 21 Oct 2013 85,334 miles

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

Oil leak

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

both front doors corroding along bottom edge

Fail 21 Oct 2013 85,333 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

Oil leak

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

both front doors corroding along bottom edge

Pass 19 Oct 2012 85,159 miles

Oil leak

all brake pipes slightly corroded

Fail 19 Oct 2012 85,159 miles

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

Oil leak

all brake pipes slightly corroded

Pass 19 Oct 2011 84,862 miles
Pass 21 Oct 2010 84,432 miles

Oil leak

Pass 28 Oct 2009 83,821 miles

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

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

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

Fail 28 Oct 2009 83,820 miles

Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

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

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

Pass 18 Mar 2008 83,695 miles

Nearside Inner Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Inner Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 27 Mar 2007 83,639 miles

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 9 Mar 2006 82,856 miles

front bumper is corroded,strongly advised.

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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G161 VNR is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in White with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.2%.

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 G161 VNR, 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 G161 VNR?

You can check the full history of G161 VNR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G161 VNR registered?

G161 VNR is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 6 September 1989.

Is G161 VNR safe to buy?

The MOT history for G161 VNR shows 23 tests with a 65.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does G161 VNR 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 G161 VNR. 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.