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503 BTT

1987 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Jul 2027
Tests23 (14 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate60.9%

Mileage

136,757 mi
Last recorded136,757 miles
Recorded on24 Jun 2026
Typical for 1987 Land Rover Defender131,673 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

Registration503 BTT
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year1987
ColourBlack
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,496cc

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

14 pass 9 fail
Pass 24 Jun 2026 136,757 miles

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

nearside front hub seal leaking

Pass 2 Jul 2025 133,999 miles

Nearside Rear Nail in tyre

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Fail 25 Jun 2025 133,975 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp incorrect colour (4.1.4 (a))

Offside Front Headlamp incorrect colour (4.1.4 (a))

Nearside Rear Nail in tyre

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 2 Jul 2024 131,593 miles
Pass 3 Jul 2023 130,120 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Rear fog lamp slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (4.5.4 (b))

Pass 7 Jan 2022 128,419 miles

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 Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 7 Jan 2022 128,419 miles

Horn sound not in accordance with requirements (7.7 (c))

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 Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 14 Jan 2021 127,477 miles
Fail 13 Jan 2021 127,468 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Pass 20 Jan 2020 125,232 miles

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

Offside Front Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn pan hard rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Fail 13 Jan 2020 125,227 miles

Nearside Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner sill corroded (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Upper Axle swivel joint so worn or insecure in a stub axle that directional stability is impaired (5.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Offside Front Suspension component pin or bush slightly worn pan hard rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 16 Jan 2019 123,186 miles
Fail 15 Jan 2019 123,186 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Pass 5 Jan 2018 120,170 miles
Fail 2 Jan 2018 120,170 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Offside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Front Propshaft universal joint worn

Pass 3 Jan 2017 117,201 miles
Fail 3 Jan 2017 117,201 miles

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

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

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

Pass 29 Dec 2015 113,657 miles
Pass 29 Dec 2014 109,322 miles

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

Pass 31 Dec 2013 46,104 miles
Fail 28 Dec 2013 46,104 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Offside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a swivel pin (2.5.A.3b)

Offside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

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

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Pass 20 Dec 2012 43,998 miles
Fail 19 Dec 2012 43,998 miles

Nearside Front Upper Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a swivel pin (2.5.A.3b)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

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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503 BTT is a 1987 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60.9%.

Across all 1987 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.3% with a typical mileage of 131,673 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 503 BTT, 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 39 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 503 BTT?

You can check the full history of 503 BTT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 503 BTT registered?

503 BTT is a 1987 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 19 June 1987.

Is 503 BTT safe to buy?

The MOT history for 503 BTT shows 23 tests with a 60.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 503 BTT 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 503 BTT. 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.