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7866 R

2003 Land Rover Defender

Silver Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Dec 2026
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

134,965 mi
Last recorded134,965 miles
Recorded on18 Dec 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

Registration7866 R
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourSilver
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

19 pass 8 fail
Pass 18 Dec 2025 134,965 miles

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

Fail 15 Dec 2025 134,945 miles

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

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 16 Dec 2024 132,163 miles

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure fractured not seriously affecting its strength with 30cm of a towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

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

Pass 21 Nov 2023 128,517 miles
Fail 21 Nov 2023 128,517 miles

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

Pass 2 Dec 2022 125,687 miles
Pass 23 Nov 2021 123,523 miles

Front Oil leak, but not excessive axle seals (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 3 Dec 2020 121,061 miles
Fail 3 Dec 2020 121,061 miles

Front Position lamp not working both (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 3 Dec 2019 115,248 miles
Pass 23 Nov 2018 108,473 miles

Front Both front swivel seals weeping grease

Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed Front belts on both sides (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Rear exhaust joint corroded but not leaking

Fail 22 Nov 2018 108,473 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Radius arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Both front swivel seals weeping grease

Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed Front belts on both sides (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Rear exhaust joint corroded but not leaking

Pass 18 Dec 2017 102,104 miles
Fail 18 Dec 2017 102,104 miles

Central Rear Torque/reaction arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt A-frame ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Drop arm (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Rear Seat belt damaged sufficient to significantly weakened the webbing both seats (5.2.2a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Fail 27 Nov 2017 101,975 miles

Ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Steering drop arm off steering box (2.2.C.1c)

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Steering damper bush worn

Pass 2 Dec 2016 94,774 miles
Pass 10 Dec 2015 88,396 miles
Pass 21 Nov 2014 80,518 miles
Pass 6 Dec 2013 74,247 miles

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Fail 6 Dec 2013 74,242 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Prop-shaft universal joint worn

Pass 8 Nov 2012 67,085 miles
Pass 24 Nov 2011 60,448 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2010 53,189 miles
Pass 18 Dec 2008 41,381 miles
Pass 7 Dec 2007 36,193 miles
Fail 7 Dec 2007 36,193 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt damaged sufficient to obstruct correct operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

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

Offside Rear Seat belt damaged sufficient to obstruct correct operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Pass 5 Dec 2006 28,897 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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7866 R is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Silver with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.4%.

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 7866 R, 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 7866 R?

You can check the full history of 7866 R by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 7866 R registered?

7866 R is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 3 December 2003.

Is 7866 R safe to buy?

The MOT history for 7866 R shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 7866 R 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 7866 R. 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.