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M981 ARL

1994 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Aug 2027
Tests35 (21 pass, 14 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

136,752 mi
Last recorded136,752 miles
Recorded on24 Aug 2026
Typical for 1994 Land Rover Defender120,267 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

RegistrationM981 ARL
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1994
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 14 fail
Pass 24 Aug 2026 136,752 miles

Central Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

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

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 28 Aug 2025 136,393 miles

Central Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Fail 15 Aug 2025 136,390 miles

Exhaust emissions test not completed because smoke levels are significantly in excess of the specified limit values (8.2.2.2 (f))

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Central Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Pass 28 Aug 2024 135,610 miles

Central Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Fail 23 Aug 2024 135,608 miles

Nearside Rear Coil spring insecure (5.3.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers insecurely attached (5.3.2 (a) (i))

Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play steering drop arm from steering box (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Central Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 22 Aug 2023 135,406 miles
Pass 16 Aug 2022 134,998 miles
Fail 12 Aug 2022 134,995 miles

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers missing (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 17 Aug 2021 134,410 miles
Pass 19 Aug 2020 133,992 miles
Fail 18 Aug 2020 133,989 miles

Nearside Front Brake disc significantly and obviously worn (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Offside Brake disc significantly and obviously worn (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Pass 14 Aug 2019 133,420 miles
Fail 14 Aug 2019 133,420 miles

Nearside Brake servo defective or ineffective (1.1.10 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension rod pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 20 Aug 2018 131,610 miles
Pass 23 Aug 2017 129,610 miles

Upper Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a seal steering box (2.3.3b)

Fail 21 Aug 2017 129,608 miles

Brake cable has wires broken and is significantly weakened (3.5.1b)

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

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

Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting nearside and offside (6.6.6)

Upper Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a seal steering box (2.3.3b)

Pass 18 Aug 2016 127,181 miles
Fail 17 Aug 2016 127,181 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Rear fog lamp switch faulty (1.3.1a)

Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Pass 13 Aug 2015 124,633 miles
Pass 15 Aug 2014 121,870 miles
Fail 14 Aug 2014 121,870 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

Pass 8 Aug 2013 119,605 miles
Fail 8 Aug 2013 119,605 miles

Driver's door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.B.1b)

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Fail 8 Aug 2012 117,294 miles

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

Pass 8 Aug 2012 117,294 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2011 114,341 miles
Fail 27 Jul 2011 114,341 miles

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

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

Offside Front Radius arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Pass 9 Aug 2010 110,102 miles
Fail 9 Aug 2010 110,102 miles

Nearside Passenger's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

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

Pass 28 Jul 2009 107,109 miles

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Fail 28 Jul 2009 107,109 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 19 Aug 2008 103,462 miles

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

Fail 19 Aug 2008 103,462 miles

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

Nearside Rear Coil spring not correctly located (2.4.C.2)

Offside Rear Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Pass 20 Aug 2007 99,518 miles

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Pass 21 Aug 2006 94,216 miles

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

slight corrosion in rear crossmember.

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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M981 ARL is a 1994 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 35 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

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 M981 ARL, 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 M981 ARL?

You can check the full history of M981 ARL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was M981 ARL registered?

M981 ARL is a 1994 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 11 October 1994.

Is M981 ARL safe to buy?

The MOT history for M981 ARL shows 35 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does M981 ARL 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 M981 ARL. 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.