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G497 XAS

1989 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires7 Mar 2025
Tests17 (14 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate82.4%

Mileage

120,289 mi
Last recorded120,289 miles
Recorded on23 Sep 2025
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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationG497 XAS
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourGrey
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,495cc

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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

14 pass 3 fail
Fail 23 Sep 2025 120,289 miles

Central Rear Towbar attachment insecure (6.1.6 (c) (i))

Nearside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Position lamp showing white light to the rear (4.2.3 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Central Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 8 Mar 2024 119,569 miles
Pass 16 Dec 2022 119,554 miles
Pass 26 Mar 2019 118,092 miles

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

Nearside Front back plate corroded

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

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

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

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

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

Steering linkage ball joint has slight play Drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 25 Feb 2018 116,128 miles

Plastic trims shields and guards covering some perscribed areas.

oil leak from diffs and gearbox

some corrosion to footwells

Pass 30 Mar 2017 114,166 miles

front and rear diffs leaking oil

front and rear springs corroded

plastic trims shields and guards covering some prescribed areas

Pass 7 Apr 2016 113,024 miles

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

oil leak front and rear diffs leaking oil

plastic trims shields and guards covering some prescribed areas

Fail 7 Apr 2016 113,024 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour and offside (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

oil leak front and rear diffs leaking oil

plastic trims shields and guards covering some prescribed areas

Pass 2 Jan 2015 112,253 miles
Pass 8 Jan 2014 110,028 miles

rear brake back plates excessively corroded

Fail 4 Jan 2014 110,028 miles

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

rear brake back plates excessively corroded

Pass 16 Jan 2013 109,303 miles

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

Pass 3 Jan 2012 108,273 miles
Pass 14 Jan 2011 107,570 miles
Pass 9 Jan 2010 104,533 miles
Pass 17 Jan 2009 102,066 miles
Pass 12 Jan 2008 100,302 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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G497 XAS is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 82.4%.

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 G497 XAS, 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 G497 XAS?

You can check the full history of G497 XAS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G497 XAS registered?

G497 XAS is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 27 October 1989.

Is G497 XAS safe to buy?

The MOT history for G497 XAS shows 17 tests with a 82.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does G497 XAS 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 G497 XAS. 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.