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M389 NKS

1994 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Jul 2027
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

194,545 mi
Last recorded194,545 miles
Recorded on6 Jul 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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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationM389 NKS
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1994
ColourGreen
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 9 fail
Pass 6 Jul 2026 194,545 miles
Pass 4 Jul 2025 191,691 miles

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

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Steering dampener bushes deteriorated

Underside of body corded

Fail 4 Jul 2025 191,690 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

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

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Steering dampener bushes deteriorated

Underside of body corded

Pass 11 Jan 2024 184,037 miles
Pass 19 Jan 2023 176,106 miles

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing close to limit (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly damaged (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 20 Jan 2022 173,371 miles
Pass 15 Sep 2020 173,197 miles
Pass 21 May 2019 173,158 miles
Fail 10 May 2019 173,072 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 21 May 2018 172,908 miles
Fail 18 May 2018 172,879 miles

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

Pass 17 May 2017 172,728 miles
Pass 5 Feb 2016 172,565 miles
Pass 16 Feb 2015 169,245 miles

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

Fail 10 Feb 2015 169,245 miles

Hazard warning lamps inoperative (1.4.B.1b)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (1.8)

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 28 Feb 2014 164,212 miles
Fail 27 Feb 2014 164,212 miles

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

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

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

Pass 17 Jan 2013 163,013 miles
Fail 17 Jan 2013 163,013 miles

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 12 Jan 2012 162,562 miles
Fail 9 Jan 2012 162,562 miles

Lower Steering column universal joint has excessive play (2.1.5)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Upper Steering column universal joint has excessive play (2.1.5)

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

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

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid close to minimum level (3.6.G.1b)

Pass 21 Feb 2011 161,444 miles

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

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 2 Feb 2010 159,317 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Pass 10 Feb 2009 158,103 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2008 156,681 miles
Fail 15 Feb 2008 156,681 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to obstruct correct operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Nearside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (5.2.5b)

Nearside Rear Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

Nearside Rear Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition on (1.4.B.1f)

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (5.2.5b)

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Pass 10 Jan 2007 155,005 miles
Pass 12 Jan 2006 154,077 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2006 154,076 miles

Front registration plate letter/figure incomplete (6.3.1c)

Nearside Front Shock absorber insecure (2.7.2b)

Offside Rear Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear Shock absorber insecure (2.7.2b)

nut missing from rear propshaft

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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M389 NKS is a 1994 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

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 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 M389 NKS, 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 M389 NKS?

You can check the full history of M389 NKS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was M389 NKS registered?

M389 NKS is a 1994 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 3 October 1994.

Is M389 NKS safe to buy?

The MOT history for M389 NKS shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does M389 NKS 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 M389 NKS. 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.