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AK53 YKZ

2003 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Feb 2027
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

214,305 mi
Last recorded214,305 miles
Recorded on9 Feb 2026
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationAK53 YKZ
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourGrey
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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 9 Feb 2026 214,305 miles

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

Fail 3 Feb 2026 214,300 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play rear of the wheel (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Pass 10 Feb 2025 210,467 miles
Fail 3 Feb 2025 210,457 miles

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases tail pipe (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Inner Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 23 Jan 2024 206,469 miles

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

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

Fail 22 Jan 2024 206,459 miles

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

Nearside Rear Other passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

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

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

Pass 14 Feb 2023 203,567 miles
Pass 11 Feb 2022 192,815 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear at rear (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 13 Jan 2021 180,534 miles
Fail 13 Jan 2021 180,534 miles

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Steering box has excessive movement between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 24 Jan 2020 172,508 miles
Fail 24 Jan 2020 172,508 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Pass 24 Mar 2017 170,905 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicator damaged, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.4.A.2e)

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

Rear brake pads half worn

exhaust joints rusty

Pass 11 Mar 2016 169,249 miles

Nearside Rear indicator lens cracked

Fail 9 Mar 2016 169,249 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Nearside Rear indicator lens cracked

Pass 10 Mar 2015 166,814 miles

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

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 10 Mar 2015 166,814 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) has less than 50% of the light sources illuminating (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Front position lamp(s) has less than 50% of the light sources illuminating (1.1.A.3b)

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

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

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 12 Mar 2014 163,525 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 19 Nov 2012 158,923 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 23 Nov 2011 155,103 miles

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

Pass 11 Nov 2010 149,386 miles
Fail 11 Nov 2010 149,386 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 4 Nov 2009 143,952 miles

slight damage to windscreen nearside

Pass 12 Nov 2008 135,124 miles
Pass 9 Nov 2007 113,031 miles
Fail 9 Nov 2007 113,031 miles

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Pass 10 Nov 2006 88,272 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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AK53 YKZ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 AK53 YKZ, 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 AK53 YKZ?

You can check the full history of AK53 YKZ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was AK53 YKZ registered?

AK53 YKZ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 11 November 2003.

Is AK53 YKZ safe to buy?

The MOT history for AK53 YKZ shows 27 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does AK53 YKZ 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 AK53 YKZ. 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.