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601 BAC

2003 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Sep 2026
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

120,108 mi
Last recorded120,108 miles
Recorded on7 Aug 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Finance
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Vehicle Details

Registration601 BAC
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourBlack
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 8 fail
Pass 7 Aug 2025 120,108 miles
Pass 29 Aug 2024 119,399 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2023 117,855 miles
Pass 26 Aug 2022 116,156 miles
Pass 19 Aug 2021 114,331 miles
Pass 19 Aug 2020 110,528 miles
Pass 21 Aug 2019 103,594 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2018 101,273 miles
Pass 8 Aug 2017 99,335 miles
Pass 5 Aug 2016 95,911 miles
Pass 5 Aug 2015 93,176 miles
Pass 2 Sep 2014 86,112 miles
Fail 1 Sep 2014 86,109 miles

Centre Rear Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Horn not loud enough to be heard by another road user (1.6.2b)

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

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate (1.1.C.1e)

Coolant leak

Front tyre's have tube's in a tubeless tyre

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

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

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

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

Offside front seat back has slight play

Pass 17 Feb 2014 83,748 miles
Fail 13 Feb 2014 83,729 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device does not fasten securely maintaining the sealing arrangement (7.2.4b)

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

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 8 Mar 2013 75,987 miles

Offside Rear reflector slightly damaged but function not impaired (1.5.1c)

Fail 8 Mar 2013 75,979 miles

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

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

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

Offside Rear reflector slightly damaged but function not impaired (1.5.1c)

Pass 11 Sep 2012 70,616 miles

off side front axle support bush worn near to limit.

rear prop shaft uj badly worn.

slight play in off side track rod end.

Fail 7 Sep 2012 70,608 miles

Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Fuel cap/sealing device does not fasten securely maintaining the sealing arrangement (7.2.4b)

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

Offside Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

off side front axle support bush worn near to limit.

rear prop shaft uj badly worn.

slight play in off side track rod end.

Pass 22 Aug 2011 59,222 miles
Fail 19 Aug 2011 59,140 miles

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

Nearside Steering pivot point has excessive play (2.2.B.1g)

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

Offside Steering pivot point has excessive play (2.2.B.1g)

Pass 3 Sep 2010 50,661 miles

** Nearside front tyre sidewalls in very poor condition. Cracking and peeling of remoulding . **

Offside front and rear tyres are starting to crack and peel on remoulding.

Fail 2 Sep 2010 50,652 miles

Driver's seat cannot be secured in the upright position. (6.2.A.2)

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

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

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

** Nearside front tyre sidewalls in very poor condition. Cracking and peeling of remoulding . **

Offside front and rear tyres are starting to crack and peel on remoulding.

Pass 28 Aug 2009 43,772 miles

BOTH FRONT TYRE INNER SIDE WALLS CRACKED VERY BADLY.

OFF SIDE REAR TYRE SPLIT TO THE LEGAL LIMIT ON INNER SIDE WALLS.

Fail 25 Aug 2009 43,765 miles

Nearside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

Nearside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

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

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

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

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

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

Nearside Front Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a) DANGEROUS

BOTH FRONT TYRES SIDEWALLS ARE SPLIITING VERY BADLY IN PLACES. (Remoulded tread is deteriorating on the sidewalls )

Rear number plate is incomplete and will show white directly to the rear when working.

OFFSIDE REAR TYRE INNER SIDEWALL IS SPLITTING BADLY. (Remoulded tread is deteriorating on the sidewalls )

Pass 19 Jun 2008 37,367 miles
Fail 19 Jun 2008 37,367 miles

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Nearside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

Nearside Front position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

Offside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (4.1.D.2)

Offside Front position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

o/s/f seatbelt stalk cover missing

steering damper bush worn

Pass 24 Aug 2006 26,980 miles

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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601 BAC is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

Across all 2003 Land Rover Defender models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.7% with a typical mileage of 86,068 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 601 BAC, 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 23 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 601 BAC?

You can check the full history of 601 BAC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 601 BAC registered?

601 BAC is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 9 September 2003.

Is 601 BAC safe to buy?

The MOT history for 601 BAC shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 601 BAC 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 601 BAC. 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.