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RLU 235W

1981 Ford Capri

Blue Petrol 1993cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 May 2027
Tests24 (21 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate87.5%

Mileage

85,814 mi
Last recorded85,814 miles
Recorded on19 May 2026
Typical for 1981 Ford Capri56,561 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Ford
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationRLU 235W
MakeFord
ModelCapri
Year1981
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,993cc

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 3 fail
Pass 19 May 2026 85,814 miles

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

corrosion has formed in the offside front footwell.

oil residue on the underside of engine

unable to clearly view the front brake pads with wheels in place advise a further check.

Pass 22 Apr 2025 82,348 miles

Front Windscreen wiper blade defective Both (3.4 (b) (i))

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

Rear Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 1 May 2024 79,419 miles

engine mountings are perished

f/n/s sill is rusty

oil leaks

Pass 27 Apr 2023 76,060 miles

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

engine oil leaks noted

f/n/s floor pan corroded

lower coolant hose badly damaged

o/s/f inner wing corroded

slight coolant leak from radiator

slight play noted on both front wheel bearings

Pass 20 Apr 2022 72,932 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play Worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play Worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt perished (2.1.3 (g) (i))

all tyres are perished

battery is lose and damaged

f/o/s inner turret area is rusty

f/o/s seat mounting possible damaged (lose and cracking noise)

oil leaks

Pass 19 Apr 2021 70,267 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play slight wear (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Valve stem slightly damaged all perished (5.2.3 (j))

all tyres are perished

oil leaks

radiator appears to be weeping (slight)

Pass 19 May 2020 66,933 miles

Valve stem slightly damaged all perished (5.2.3 (j))

air filter needs replacing

exhaust is rusty

oil leak (possible)

Pass 12 Apr 2019 61,984 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Valve stem slightly damaged All perished (5.2.3 (j))

bottom hose damaged by fan belt

exhaust is rusty

fuel pipe to carburettor is perished

play noted in f/n/s wheel bearing

Pass 30 Apr 2018 59,268 miles

all tyre valves are perished

exhaust is rusty

oil leak

r/n/s brake is binding (slight)

Pass 28 Apr 2017 55,911 miles

all tyres are perished

exhaust is very rusty and repaired

f/n/s petrol pipe is lose and poor (flexable section)

gear selector bush (gear leave end bush is missing)

mixture is rich

o/s engine mounting is split

oil leaks

one crossmember bolt is lose

radiator is leaking

underside is patched and under sealed

Pass 10 May 2016 50,980 miles
Fail 11 Apr 2016 50,845 miles

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

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

Pass 10 Apr 2015 45,452 miles

battery is badly damaged by p/s pulley

front inner track control arm bushes worn

front tyres worn at inner edge

n/s track rod end is worn

oil leak

r/o/s tyre is badly perished and screw in tread

underside extensifly undersealed

Pass 14 Apr 2014 39,455 miles

exhaust rusty

f/n/s flexable brake hose fouling metal brake pipe (slight)

fan belt perished

oil leaks

track control arm bushes worn

underside thickly undersealed

Pass 10 Apr 2013 34,441 miles
Pass 17 Apr 2012 28,955 miles
Pass 15 Apr 2011 24,594 miles

exhaust rusty

f/n/s tyre poor in tread,perished and worn at inner edge

f/o/s tyre low on tread 3.5mm and perished

front fuel pipes lose

oil leaks

power steering pulley fouling battery

underside patched

Fail 1 Apr 2011 24,171 miles

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

exhaust rusty

f/n/s tyre poor in tread,perished and worn at inner edge

f/o/s tyre low on tread 3.5mm and perished

front fuel pipes lose

oil leaks

power steering pulley fouling battery

underside patched

Pass 27 Apr 2010 19,381 miles

exhaust rusty esp front

f/o/s tyre 75 % worn

front seat belts worn

oil leak

play noted on f/o/s wheel bearing

r/n/s hand brake sticking

underside rusty in places ,patched and undersealed

Pass 16 Dec 2008 16,852 miles

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

exhaust rusty

f/n/s tyre low on tread

gearbox and engine leaking oil

headlamp relay poor

steering rack and lower arm bushes worn ( slight )

underside rusty in places

Fail 16 Dec 2008 16,852 miles

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

exhaust rusty

f/n/s tyre low on tread

gearbox and engine leaking oil

headlamp relay poor

steering rack and lower arm bushes worn ( slight )

underside rusty in places

Pass 18 Dec 2007 14,606 miles

headlamp reflectors poor

oil leak

r/n/s brake dragging slightly

rear shocks worn

steering rack worn

underside rusty in places

Pass 19 Dec 2006 11,778 miles

engine burning oil

f/o/s bumper damaged at indicator mounting

underside rusty in places

Pass 5 Jan 2006 9,150 miles

Front Suspension arm has slight play in a track control arm inner bush (2.5.B.2b)

f/n/s calipier bolt missing

oil leaks noted from engine

slight wear noted in sterring rack

How Reliable is the Ford Capri?

Based on 101,843 MOT tests across 11,827 vehicles.

75.0%
Pass Rate
507
Miles/Year
57
Year Lifespan
11,827
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

brake binding 4,143
Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 4,055
Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 3,852
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 3,080
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive 2,143
Full Ford Capri reliability report

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RLU 235W is a 1981 Ford Capri in Blue with a 1,993cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 87.5%.

Across all 1981 Ford Capri models, the average MOT pass rate is 75.4% with a typical mileage of 56,561 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Ford Capri fails its MOT is brake binding, accounting for 4,143 recorded failures. If you're considering buying RLU 235W, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Ford Capri typically stays on UK roads for around 57 years. At 45 years old, this Ford Capri is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of RLU 235W?

You can check the full history of RLU 235W by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was RLU 235W registered?

RLU 235W is a 1981 Ford Capri, first registered on 31 January 1981.

Is RLU 235W safe to buy?

The MOT history for RLU 235W shows 24 tests with a 87.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does RLU 235W 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 RLU 235W. 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.