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M981 CBJ

1994 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Feb 2027
Tests22 (17 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate77.3%

Mileage

69,724 mi
Last recorded69,724 miles
Recorded on4 Feb 2026
Typical for 1994 Land Rover Defender120,267 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationM981 CBJ
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

17 pass 5 fail
Pass 4 Feb 2026 69,724 miles
Pass 12 Dec 2024 69,580 miles

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour but not likely to obscure the vision of other road users (8.2.2.2 (c))

Pass 11 Dec 2023 69,343 miles

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour but not likely to obscure the vision of other road users emits black smoke under acceleration (8.2.2.2 (c))

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 13 Dec 2022 69,243 miles

Exhaust emits black smoke during acceleration (8.2.1.2 (g))

Pass 26 Nov 2021 69,013 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2020 68,382 miles

Exhaust emits black smoke during acceleration (8.2.1.2 (g))

Nearside Headlamp reflector slightly defective starting to corrode (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp reflector slightly defective dull (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Fail 30 Nov 2020 68,382 miles

Exhaust emits black smoke during acceleration (8.2.1.2 (g))

Nearside Headlamp reflector slightly defective starting to corrode (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp reflector slightly defective dull (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle rubbing on radius arm (5.2.3 (f))

Pass 2 Jun 2018 68,160 miles

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

highly modified vehicle

Pass 5 Sep 2016 66,669 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Pass 7 Sep 2015 64,784 miles

Nearside Front slight leak from swivel seal

Pass 4 Jun 2014 63,653 miles
Fail 2 Jun 2014 63,645 miles

Centre Front Statutory seat belt missing (5.1.1)

Nearside Front Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

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

Pass 21 Jun 2013 62,089 miles

slight leak from offside front swivel joint

Fail 20 Jun 2013 62,081 miles

Centre Front Statutory seat belt missing (5.1.1)

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

slight leak from offside front swivel joint

Pass 14 May 2012 60,342 miles

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch

fuel tank corroded

rear crossmember starting to corrode

Pass 23 Dec 2010 59,143 miles
Pass 4 Dec 2009 56,603 miles

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

Fail 3 Dec 2009 56,547 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Service brake is causing the vehicle to swerve to the offside (3.7.C.2)

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

Pass 2 Dec 2008 48,118 miles
Pass 4 Dec 2007 39,331 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

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

Rear prop shaft rear u/j worn

Water ingress into both registration plates

Fail 27 Nov 2007 39,331 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber detached (2.7.2b) DANGEROUS

Front prop shaft sliding joint worn

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

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

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

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

Rear prop shaft rear u/j worn

Water ingress into both registration plates

Pass 28 Jul 2006 36,232 miles

Front propshaft slider joint worn

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Rear Shock absorber has slight external damage to the casing (2.7.2a)

Steering damper bushes worn

Various steel brake pipes corroding

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 CBJ is a 1994 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.3%.

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 M981 CBJ, 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 CBJ?

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

What year was M981 CBJ registered?

M981 CBJ is a 1994 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 August 1994.

Is M981 CBJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for M981 CBJ shows 22 tests with a 77.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does M981 CBJ 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 CBJ. 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.