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G478 XDG

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 Aug 2027
Tests32 (21 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate65.6%

Mileage

177,367 mi
Last recorded177,367 miles
Recorded on12 Aug 2026
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationG478 XDG
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

21 pass 11 fail
Pass 12 Aug 2026 177,367 miles

Nearside Front Oil leak, but not excessive hub swivel joint (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 10 Aug 2026 177,364 miles

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

Nearside Front Oil leak, but not excessive hub swivel joint (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 22 Aug 2025 177,155 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective wiper juddering (3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective juddering (3.4 (b) (i))

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 (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced both front sills (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 12 Aug 2025 177,141 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit (8.2.2.2 (a))

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

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Front Driver's seat insecure (6.2.5 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Exhaust emits black smoke during acceleration (8.2.1.2 (g))

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective wiper juddering (3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective juddering (3.4 (b) (i))

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 (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced both front sills (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 14 Aug 2024 176,884 miles

- chassis, suspension and its braking components have varied stages of corrosion

Pass 1 Aug 2023 176,235 miles
Pass 13 Jul 2022 175,716 miles
Fail 13 Jul 2022 175,716 miles

Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Pass 21 Jul 2021 175,449 miles
Pass 4 Jun 2020 174,991 miles

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

Pass 21 Jun 2019 74,344 miles

Coolant leak water pump

Pass 28 Jun 2018 173,006 miles
Pass 14 Jun 2017 171,625 miles
Fail 14 Jun 2017 171,622 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Pass 11 Jun 2016 170,320 miles
Fail 9 Jun 2016 170,289 miles

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

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

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

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

Pass 9 Jun 2015 168,464 miles
Fail 9 Jun 2015 168,460 miles

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

Pass 24 Jun 2014 166,004 miles
Fail 18 Jun 2014 165,993 miles

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

Nearside Front Torque/reaction arm attachment bracket/mounting insecure (2.4.G.1)

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

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

Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Nearside Front Torque/reaction arm has a slightly deteriorated rubber bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Torque/reaction arm has a slightly deteriorated rubber bush (2.4.G.2)

clutch slave cylinder leaking

rear propshaft flange to handbrake drum ,loose bolts

Pass 17 Apr 2013 162,152 miles

Nearside Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

front prop rear uj badly worn

possible rear axle diff worn

rust hole in bottom of battery box

Fail 11 Apr 2013 162,141 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

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

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

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

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

Nearside Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

front prop rear uj badly worn

possible rear axle diff worn

rust hole in bottom of battery box

Pass 18 Apr 2012 159,274 miles

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

Offside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Fail 13 Apr 2012 159,254 miles

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

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

Offside Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching into the swept area by more than 40mm outside zone 'A' (8.3.1e)

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

Nearside Front Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

Offside Front Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

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

Offside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Pass 14 Apr 2011 155,903 miles

off side front swivel hub slight play

offside front swivel hub slight play

slight drag to rear brakes when hand spun

Fail 7 Apr 2011 155,842 miles

Brake pedal has insufficient reserve movement (3.3.A.5)

Front Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

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

Offside Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

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

Nearside Rear Torque/reaction arm has a slightly deteriorated rubber bush (2.4.G.2)

near side front track rod end rubber boot split

off side front swivel hub slight play

offside front swivel hub slight play

Pass 25 Mar 2010 152,443 miles

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

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

slight play in osf swivel hub

Pass 16 Apr 2009 149,445 miles
Pass 17 Jan 2008 146,757 miles

front prop rear uj worn

Pass 6 Dec 2006 143,892 miles

slight play osf swivel hub

Pass 18 Nov 2005 139,423 miles
Fail 18 Nov 2005 139,404 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

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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G478 XDG is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel 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 G478 XDG, 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 G478 XDG?

You can check the full history of G478 XDG by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G478 XDG registered?

G478 XDG is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 August 1989.

Is G478 XDG safe to buy?

The MOT history for G478 XDG 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 G478 XDG 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 G478 XDG. 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.