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L289 MSS

1994 Land Rover Defender

Bronze Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 Aug 2027
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

169,221 mi
Last recorded169,221 miles
Recorded on14 Aug 2026
Typical for 1994 Land Rover Defender120,267 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationL289 MSS
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1994
ColourBronze
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 14 Aug 2026 169,221 miles
Fail 11 Aug 2026 169,221 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Rear Prop shaft joint so worn it is likely to fail rear propshaft rear joint (6.1.7 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 18 Aug 2025 169,221 miles
Pass 9 Aug 2024 164,687 miles

Central Front Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Central Front Power steering pipe/hose slightly corroded (2.1.5 (g) (i))

Nearside Rear Inner Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a reduced damping effect (5.3.2 (d))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases silencer pipe (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 1 Aug 2023 159,100 miles
Pass 22 Aug 2022 154,130 miles

Offside Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside steering damper bush slight wear

Pass 10 Aug 2021 148,005 miles
Fail 9 Aug 2021 148,005 miles

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 11 Aug 2020 141,962 miles
Pass 1 May 2019 137,598 miles
Pass 27 Apr 2018 132,081 miles
Pass 6 May 2017 124,500 miles

Replacement galvanised chassis fitted

Pass 21 May 2014 123,579 miles

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

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

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

Fail 6 Dec 2013 123,578 miles

Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (3.6.C.3)

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

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside rear brake excessively fluctuating (3.7.B.3)

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Nearside Inner Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Offside Inner Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Pass 27 Nov 2012 121,098 miles
Pass 6 Dec 2011 116,401 miles
Fail 6 Dec 2011 116,400 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Offside Steering component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.2.C.1h)

Fail 7 Nov 2011 116,399 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe kinked (3.6.B.2b)

Nearside Front Shock absorber insecure (2.7.2b)

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Nearside Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Offside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

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

Offside Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

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

Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 25 Oct 2010 109,943 miles
Fail 22 Oct 2010 109,937 miles

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

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

Pass 5 Nov 2009 104,582 miles
Fail 30 Oct 2009 104,580 miles

Centre Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 2 Nov 2008 99,525 miles
Pass 12 Sep 2007 94,769 miles
Fail 12 Sep 2007 94,769 miles

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Fail 24 Jul 2007 94,676 miles

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

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

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Steering component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.2.C.1h)

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

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

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Oil leak

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

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

Reversing light inop.

Pass 26 Jul 2006 91,903 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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L289 MSS is a 1994 Land Rover Defender in Bronze with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1994 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.3% with a typical mileage of 120,267 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 L289 MSS, 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 32 years old, this Land Rover Defender is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of L289 MSS?

You can check the full history of L289 MSS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L289 MSS registered?

L289 MSS is a 1994 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 20 April 1994.

Is L289 MSS safe to buy?

The MOT history for L289 MSS 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 L289 MSS 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 L289 MSS. 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.