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G31 XJS

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 Oct 2026
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

116,252 mi
Last recorded116,252 miles
Recorded on16 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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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationG31 XJS
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

20 pass 5 fail
Pass 16 Oct 2025 116,252 miles

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

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 22 Oct 2024 116,018 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Fail 9 Oct 2024 116,018 miles

All direction indicators adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.4.3 (b))

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

Offside Headlamp light intensity severely reduced (4.1.4 (a))

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))

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Pass 12 Oct 2023 115,517 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 10 Oct 2022 115,330 miles

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

Pass 11 Oct 2021 114,910 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Fail 5 Oct 2021 114,896 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Pass 22 Oct 2020 114,219 miles
Fail 14 Oct 2020 114,197 miles

Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (1.1.21 (e) (i))

Nearside Lower Front passenger door hinge insecure (6.2.3 (c) (ii))

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Pass 17 Apr 2019 113,698 miles
Pass 18 Apr 2018 112,941 miles
Pass 27 Apr 2017 111,553 miles

Nearside Front Panhard rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Fail 4 Apr 2017 111,539 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Nearside Front Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 23 Mar 2016 108,544 miles

Nearside Front Panhard rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 30 Mar 2015 105,455 miles

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 21 Mar 2014 102,371 miles
Pass 25 Mar 2013 99,588 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2012 97,094 miles

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

Pass 17 Mar 2011 95,136 miles

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

Front Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Offside Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 26 Mar 2010 93,717 miles
Pass 18 Mar 2009 92,225 miles
Pass 21 Mar 2008 90,712 miles
Fail 13 Mar 2008 90,607 miles

Steering box has relative movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.2.B.1b)

Nearside Front Suspension arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded and its strength is seriously reduced (2.4.G.1) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Valve stem seriously misaligned (4.1.D.1e) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Suspension arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded and its strength is seriously reduced (2.4.G.1) DANGEROUS

Steering system excessively tight (2.2.D.1) DANGEROUS

Propshaft component defective

oil leak from gearbox at transmission brake

Pass 9 Mar 2007 89,172 miles

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

Pass 14 Mar 2006 85,944 miles

Front Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

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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G31 XJS is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 G31 XJS, 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 G31 XJS?

You can check the full history of G31 XJS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G31 XJS registered?

G31 XJS is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 21 November 1989.

Is G31 XJS safe to buy?

The MOT history for G31 XJS shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does G31 XJS 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 G31 XJS. 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.