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G281 PAL

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires14 Oct 2026
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

114,474 mi
Last recorded114,474 miles
Recorded on15 Oct 2025
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationG281 PAL
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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 15 Oct 2025 114,474 miles

Nearside Front swivel joint leaking

Offside Front swivel joint leaking

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

Pass 7 Nov 2024 113,532 miles
Pass 22 Nov 2023 112,842 miles
Fail 21 Nov 2023 112,842 miles

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Rear Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 17 Aug 2022 111,780 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2021 110,744 miles
Pass 19 May 2020 108,997 miles
Pass 16 Apr 2019 107,291 miles
Pass 12 Oct 2017 106,957 miles

Offside Front inner face of brake disc covered in oil

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

play in front hockeystick bushes

Fail 12 Oct 2017 106,957 miles

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

Offside Front inner face of brake disc covered in oil

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

play in front hockeystick bushes

Pass 15 Jan 2016 105,066 miles

Centre Rear Radius arm has slight play in a ball joint a frame ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Fail 7 Jan 2016 105,066 miles

Nearside Front Axle king pin has excessive play in pin and/or bush adversely affecting the steering (2.5.A.3a)

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

Nearside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

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

Offside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Centre Rear Radius arm has slight play in a ball joint a frame ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 19 Feb 2015 103,993 miles
Fail 17 Feb 2015 103,991 miles

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 13 Feb 2014 102,709 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)

Rear Drive shaft uj which forms part of the suspension has slight play in a universal joint (2.4.G.4b)

Fail 11 Feb 2014 102,704 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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)

Rear Drive shaft uj which forms part of the suspension has slight play in a universal joint (2.4.G.4b)

Pass 15 Feb 2013 101,606 miles

Centre Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Fail 7 Feb 2013 101,605 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Centre Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Pass 12 Apr 2012 100,798 miles

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

Fail 4 Apr 2012 100,783 miles

Offside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a ball joint (2.5.A.3b)

Offside Front Body has a sharp edge caused by corrosion (6.1.C.1)

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

Pass 21 Apr 2011 99,845 miles

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

Pass 23 Apr 2010 98,207 miles
Pass 11 Feb 2008 98,176 miles
Fail 5 Feb 2008 98,167 miles

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

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball pin shank loose (2.2.B.1c)

Offside Rear Body has a sharp edge caused by corrosion (6.1.C.1)

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

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

Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Rear front parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

offside rear tyre side walls perished

windscreen damage in zone A

Pass 16 Feb 2007 95,596 miles
Fail 13 Feb 2007 95,596 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Front Headlamp excessively damaged so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Nearside Front Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

age crackes to offside front and nearside offside rear tryes

Pass 5 Jan 2006 94,705 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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G281 PAL 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 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 G281 PAL, 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 G281 PAL?

You can check the full history of G281 PAL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G281 PAL registered?

G281 PAL is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 3 October 1989.

Is G281 PAL safe to buy?

The MOT history for G281 PAL shows 27 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 G281 PAL 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 G281 PAL. 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.