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L865 RCA

1993 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 Jan 2027
Tests24 (16 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

196,012 mi
Last recorded196,012 miles
Recorded on19 Jan 2026
Typical for 1993 Land Rover Defender118,574 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationL865 RCA
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1993
ColourRed
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

16 pass 8 fail
Pass 19 Jan 2026 196,012 miles

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Fail 12 Jan 2026 196,004 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing significantly weakened cut greater than 4mm (7.1.2 (b))

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded and seriously weakened axle to suspension arm mounting point (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing significantly weakened cut greater than 4mm (7.1.2 (b))

Offside Front Suspension arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded and seriously weakened axle to suspension arm mounting point (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 17 May 2022 195,643 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Fail 16 May 2022 195,643 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt rear control arm boot (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Brake prescribed area is excessively corroded floor (1.1.21 (e) (i))

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush steering arm shock (5.3.2 (c))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 5 May 2021 195,384 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt rear most (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt to pitman (drop) arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 13 May 2020 194,793 miles
Fail 13 May 2020 194,793 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 9 May 2019 194,072 miles
Pass 15 May 2018 193,387 miles
Pass 8 Dec 2016 192,671 miles

Ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt drop arm (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive axle (2.4.A.3)

Pass 10 Dec 2015 190,947 miles
Pass 16 Dec 2014 188,764 miles
Pass 3 Apr 2012 185,786 miles
Pass 24 Feb 2011 183,083 miles

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

Fail 23 Feb 2011 183,083 miles

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

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp switch faulty (1.3.1a)

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

Pass 25 Feb 2010 179,040 miles
Fail 24 Feb 2010 179,040 miles

Front Steering damper leaking oil (2.2.C.1f)

Nearside Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 25 Feb 2009 174,979 miles
Fail 17 Feb 2009 174,978 miles

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

Offside Front Body or chassis has an unsatisfactory modification, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 18 Jan 2008 170,654 miles
Fail 7 Jan 2008 170,616 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Steering column universal joint insecure (2.1.5)

Pass 5 Jan 2007 164,900 miles
Fail 3 Jan 2007 164,895 miles

Offside Front Power steering ram(s) leaking from a failed seal (2.3.3b)

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

Pass 18 Jan 2006 151,671 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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L865 RCA is a 1993 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1993 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.8% with a typical mileage of 118,574 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 L865 RCA, 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 33 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 L865 RCA?

You can check the full history of L865 RCA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L865 RCA registered?

L865 RCA is a 1993 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 18 November 1993.

Is L865 RCA safe to buy?

The MOT history for L865 RCA shows 24 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 L865 RCA 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 L865 RCA. 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.