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S285 LSR

1999 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2500cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Nov 2026
Tests31 (21 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate67.7%

Mileage

164,433 mi
Last recorded164,433 miles
Recorded on5 Nov 2025
Typical for 1999 Land Rover Defender106,873 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationS285 LSR
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1999
ColourGreen
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,500cc

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 10 fail
Pass 5 Nov 2025 164,433 miles

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

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

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

Suspension, steering and braking components have surface corrosion

Pass 5 Nov 2024 161,261 miles

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

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

Offside rear hub oil seal leak, but not excessive

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

Rear tyres worn uneven

Suspension, Steering & Brake components have surface corrosion

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

Pass 24 Oct 2023 157,106 miles

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

Suspension, Steering & Brake components corroded, not seriously weakened

Pass 21 Nov 2022 154,790 miles

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 12 Oct 2021 148,309 miles

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced also covered in underseal (6.1.1 (c) (i))

chassis repairs covered in underseal

corrosion on all steering, brake, suspension and doors

Pass 5 Nov 2020 143,825 miles

Front Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively front prop rear joint and slider (6.1.7 (c) (i))

chassis/ underbody covered in underseal

surface corrosion on all brake, steering and suspension components

underbody repairs covered in underseal

Pass 5 Nov 2019 137,604 miles

Al underside of vehicle heavily undersealed

All steering, suspension and braking components heavily undersealed

Front swivels leaking slightly

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

Fail 5 Nov 2019 137,604 miles

Al underside of vehicle heavily undersealed

All steering, suspension and braking components heavily undersealed

Front swivels leaking slightly

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

Rear fog lamp switch inoperative (4.5.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 2 Oct 2018 124,928 miles

Underbody, Chassis, Suspension, Steering, Brake components & mountings heavily undersealed

Fail 2 Oct 2018 124,926 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Underbody, Chassis, Suspension, Steering, Brake components & mountings heavily undersealed

Pass 11 Oct 2017 112,080 miles

Vehicle structure, Suspension, Steering & Brake components undersealed

Fail 11 Oct 2017 112,080 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Vehicle structure, Suspension, Steering & Brake components undersealed

Pass 25 Oct 2016 99,666 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Fail 25 Oct 2016 99,666 miles

Nearside Headlamp has a product on the light source so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 21 Sep 2015 84,628 miles

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

centre and rear exhaust system corroding

slight movement in front prop shaft

Pass 21 Oct 2014 72,029 miles
Pass 27 Jan 2014 70,256 miles
Pass 17 Jan 2013 64,196 miles
Pass 16 Jan 2012 59,707 miles
Fail 16 Jan 2012 59,707 miles

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

Pass 28 Jan 2011 55,172 miles
Fail 24 Jan 2011 55,164 miles

Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour of any colour (7.4.B.4)

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

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

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

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

Pass 3 Feb 2010 52,271 miles
Fail 27 Jan 2010 52,271 miles

All position lamps not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

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

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 2 Feb 2009 49,530 miles
Fail 27 Jan 2009 49,530 miles

Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (8.4.1)

Exhaust tailpipe not capable of allowing the emission probe to be inserted (7.4.B.1)

Pass 22 Jan 2008 47,215 miles
Pass 20 Jan 2007 45,700 miles
Fail 19 Jan 2007 45,699 miles

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

Offside Steering damper deformed and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d)

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

front brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

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

Pass 19 Jan 2006 37,337 miles
Fail 18 Jan 2006 37,336 miles

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

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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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S285 LSR is a 1999 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,500cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 67.7%.

Across all 1999 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.6% with a typical mileage of 106,873 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 S285 LSR, 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 27 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 S285 LSR?

You can check the full history of S285 LSR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S285 LSR registered?

S285 LSR is a 1999 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 11 February 1999.

Is S285 LSR safe to buy?

The MOT history for S285 LSR shows 31 tests with a 67.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S285 LSR 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 S285 LSR. 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.