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VAG 912W

1981 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Nov 2026
Tests26 (20 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76.9%

Mileage

134,007 mi
Last recorded134,007 miles
Recorded on17 Nov 2025
Typical for 1981 Land Rover Defender59,707 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationVAG 912W
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1981
ColourGreen
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

20 pass 6 fail
Pass 17 Nov 2025 134,007 miles
Pass 13 Nov 2024 153,267 miles
Pass 20 Nov 2023 133,442 miles

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

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

Pass 21 Nov 2022 132,787 miles
Pass 2 Nov 2021 153,016 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Pass 6 Nov 2020 151,278 miles
Pass 5 Nov 2019 148,297 miles
Pass 29 Oct 2018 145,597 miles
Pass 2 Nov 2017 143,522 miles
Fail 2 Nov 2017 143,522 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 20 Oct 2016 141,490 miles
Pass 13 Oct 2015 138,490 miles
Pass 11 Nov 2014 135,188 miles
Pass 11 Sep 2013 134,783 miles

oil leak

passenger footwell slighly corroded

Fail 9 Sep 2013

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber insecure (2.7.2b)

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

Offside Front Panhard rod locating pin insecure (2.4.G.3a)

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

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

oil leak

passenger footwell slighly corroded

Pass 25 Sep 2012 133,565 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

nsf tyre poor condition

Fail 24 Sep 2012 133,565 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

nsf tyre poor condition

Pass 9 Sep 2011 132,004 miles
Fail 6 Sep 2011 132,044 miles

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

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

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

Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

Pass 17 May 2010 129,184 miles

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

Nearside Front Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

slight leak from o/s swivel joint

Pass 16 Apr 2009 126,037 miles
Fail 15 Apr 2009 126,037 miles

Front Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.2.B.1a)

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

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

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 18 Mar 2008 123,816 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

slight oil leak around o/s engine

Pass 8 Mar 2007 120,134 miles

Nearside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 1 Mar 2006 115,732 miles
Fail 21 Feb 2006 115,626 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

Steering box has relative movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.2.B.1b)

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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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.

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VAG 912W is a 1981 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.9%.

Across all 1981 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.1% with a typical mileage of 59,707 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 VAG 912W, 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 45 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 VAG 912W?

You can check the full history of VAG 912W by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was VAG 912W registered?

VAG 912W is a 1981 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 June 1981.

Is VAG 912W safe to buy?

The MOT history for VAG 912W shows 26 tests with a 76.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does VAG 912W 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 VAG 912W. 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.