CarVerify

Free Car Check

TSS 888S

1989 Land Rover Defender

Blue Petrol 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Expired
Expires17 Sep 2026
Tests24 (17 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate70.8%

Mileage

33,172 mi
Last recorded33,172 miles
Recorded on18 Sep 2025
Typical for 1989 Land Rover Defender127,912 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £14.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationTSS 888S
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1989
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
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 7 fail
Pass 18 Sep 2025 33,172 miles
Pass 27 Aug 2024 32,826 miles

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

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

Fail 2 Aug 2024 32,823 miles

Emissions unable to be completed (8.2.1.2 (d))

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

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

Nearside Front Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting Chassis leg (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Rear Exhaust system insecure (6.1.2 (a))

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

Rear Brake pipe connection leaking on a hydraulic braking system By brake hose (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Rear Exhaust silencer likely to become detached (8.1.1 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

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

Pass 17 May 2023 32,392 miles

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

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

Fail 17 May 2023 32,392 miles

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

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Pass 27 Apr 2021 31,242 miles
Pass 17 Mar 2020 30,165 miles

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

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

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

Pass 15 Oct 2018 28,807 miles
Pass 14 Nov 2017 28,361 miles
Pass 17 Oct 2016 27,908 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2015 26,124 miles

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

Fail 18 Sep 2015 26,111 miles

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

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

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

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

Pass 17 Oct 2014 25,134 miles
Pass 31 Oct 2013 24,815 miles

front swivles leaking but not ecssesive

Fail 23 Oct 2013 24,815 miles

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

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Coil spring mounting corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.C.3c)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear fog lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.3.2f)

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

front swivles leaking but not ecssesive

Fail 28 Nov 2011 24,268 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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

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

Pass 28 Nov 2011 24,268 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Pass 11 Nov 2010 23,075 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 6 Nov 2009 22,336 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Fail 2 Nov 2009 22,336 miles

Nearside Front Radius arm rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Radius arm rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Pass 24 Oct 2008 21,629 miles

off side rear axel seal leaking

Pass 6 Nov 2007 19,851 miles

Both front axle seals (globes) have slight leaks.

Offside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Oil leak

Pass 9 Nov 2006 19,081 miles
Fail 9 Nov 2006 19,081 miles

Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

TSS 888S is a 1989 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.8%.

Across all 1989 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.8% with a typical mileage of 127,912 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 TSS 888S, 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 37 years old, this Land Rover Defender is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of TSS 888S?

You can check the full history of TSS 888S by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was TSS 888S registered?

TSS 888S is a 1989 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 24 November 1989.

Is TSS 888S safe to buy?

The MOT history for TSS 888S shows 24 tests with a 70.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does TSS 888S 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 TSS 888S. 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.