CarVerify

Free Car Check

AE53 DYY

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Mar 2027
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

133,477 mi
Last recorded133,477 miles
Recorded on9 Mar 2026
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationAE53 DYY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourBlue
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 9 Mar 2026 133,477 miles

Central Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

rear cross member starting to corrode

Fail 4 Mar 2026 133,476 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers likely to become detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorbers likely to become detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

rear cross member starting to corrode

Central Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 7 Mar 2025 127,704 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2024 123,016 miles

Front Outer Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed both (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

chip in windscreen

Pass 17 Feb 2023 118,061 miles

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

Seat belt slightly damaged both (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Pass 2 Mar 2022 114,801 miles
Fail 2 Mar 2022 114,801 miles

Brake lever not releasing correctly and functionality of brakes affected Handbrake (1.1.2 (b) (ii))

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (8.2.2.2 (b))

Pass 4 Nov 2020 112,933 miles
Pass 19 Nov 2019 106,948 miles

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Fail 19 Nov 2019 106,935 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator light intensity significantly reduced (4.4.3 (a))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Pass 20 Nov 2018 101,609 miles
Fail 9 Nov 2018 101,608 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush so worn or insecure that directional stability is impaired (5.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush so worn or insecure that directional stability is impaired (5.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Nail in tyre ()

Pass 17 Nov 2017 97,222 miles
Pass 14 Nov 2016 92,538 miles

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Pass 9 Nov 2015 87,202 miles
Fail 9 Nov 2015 87,201 miles

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

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

Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement D-bushes (2.4.G.2)

Pass 6 Nov 2014 82,726 miles

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

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

Fail 6 Nov 2014 82,726 miles

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

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Fail 13 Nov 2013 77,865 miles

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

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

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

Spare wheel carrier lower mount has a loose bolt

Pass 13 Nov 2013 77,865 miles

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

Spare wheel carrier lower mount has a loose bolt

Pass 12 Nov 2012 74,164 miles
Fail 12 Nov 2012 74,164 miles

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Pass 8 Nov 2011 69,742 miles

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 17 Nov 2010 65,669 miles
Pass 20 Nov 2009 57,530 miles
Pass 17 Nov 2008 49,143 miles
Pass 19 Nov 2007 43,224 miles
Pass 20 Nov 2006 35,887 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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

AE53 DYY is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Blue 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 AE53 DYY, 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 AE53 DYY?

You can check the full history of AE53 DYY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was AE53 DYY registered?

AE53 DYY is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 November 2003.

Is AE53 DYY safe to buy?

The MOT history for AE53 DYY 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 AE53 DYY 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 AE53 DYY. 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.