errrr, interesting start to Landrover ownership

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The MOT is complete c***, it was done by a proper MOT centre as you can see it on the .gov website but I don't think they even saw the car! The car is not actually road worthy
Have you checked the VIN number, chassis number and engine number match what is on the V5c? I think the MOT tester is supposed to verify the VIN number before doing the test. So they can't claim that yours is not the vehicle they tested when they are investigated.
 
What they really hated was when the testing went live on the DEFRA computer. They carried on doing repairs, just took the cars to another garage up the road for the actual test.
DEFRA ? VOSA , then DVSA ( computerised years )
 
I’m going to keep the Defender as overal the car is in very good condition, just a bit dodgy mechanical (at least it starts and stops). VINs all matches as I did one of the AA check thingies on it before I purchased it. I think the mileage is correct as I checked the last 10 years of previous MOTs online and they all ticked up correctly well before the seller purchased it.
As pointed out the stuff needed doing is not massive (yet). I will probably get the garage to do all the hard stuff, slightly worried about the rear diff, from what my friend said it was the bolts connecting it that were loses and could of done proper damage when using it and it has also been bodged at some time on a repair which sounds expensive.

I guess the seller did a pub job on the mot. I will just get some sadistic enjoyment making the MOT test centres life hell! There was a tester in Somerset that was doing dodgy MOTs for people about a years ago and got sent down for 6 months.
 
I’m going to keep the Defender as overal the car is in very good condition, just a bit dodgy mechanical (at least it starts and stops).
Give it few days and with any luck, that starting & stopping thing will stop altogether.
 
My mate says that it was leaking quite a lot, the 2 times I looked at it there was no leaks underneath but it was parked in between 2 sets of gates on crushed drives, so probably just moved it there before I turned up.
At 09:00 I will pop over to my mates and get the full score and an idea on price.
Luckily the garage is a real Defender man and has his own machine with the odd add on, so knows his defenders.
 
90 diffs a cheap and plentyful. You can get a decent one for £60. Just a case of undoing the prop, that ring of nuts (fit new ones) and pulling the rear shafts out (5 bolts a side)
 
I bought a vehicle in October which had been for MOT that morning that had various MOT failures yet nothing mentioned on advisories apart from corroded rear coil springs which it doesn't have and even if they meant the air bags they're not corroded! Like with this all of the faults were easily fixable and it was a cheap vehicle for what it was. I did contact VOSA and whether anything happened or not I don't know, they said the MOT station would get more visits than normal. He said they are having massive problems at the moment with dodgy MOT's. It probably cost me £400 and a week's worth of evenings to put right so not the end of the world and still a cheap vehicle but anyone who uses a garage for work could easily have spent three times that with labour costs.
 
90 diffs a cheap and plentyful. You can get a decent one for £60. Just a case of undoing the prop, that ring of nuts (fit new ones) and pulling the rear shafts out (5 bolts a side)

It probably just needs the ring of bolts tightened. If it was loose enough to cause damage the oil would be pouring out.
Should be obvious from the smell. 90 weight stinks.
 
True. Just depends how loose it is!

Has to be very loose before the diff moves much. The studs stop it turning very much until the nuts are very loose.
Seen it several times, always because the nuts had not been tightened properly.
Which leads me to think the vehicle in question has had the diff changed before sale. Unusual if the mileage is as low as stated.
 
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