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AX53 FPU

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Jun 2027
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

162,783 mi
Last recorded162,783 miles
Recorded on8 Jun 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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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationAX53 FPU
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 7 fail
Pass 8 Jun 2026 162,783 miles
Pass 13 Jun 2025 159,940 miles
Fail 12 Jun 2025 159,938 miles

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Pass 5 Jun 2024 156,040 miles

Front Seat belt slightly damaged Both (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Fail 1 Jun 2024 156,037 miles

Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Both (4.1.2 (c))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade missing (3.4 (b) (ii))

Front Seat belt slightly damaged Both (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Pass 27 Apr 2023 151,204 miles

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

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged And n/s/f (7.1.2 (b) (i))

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

Pass 25 May 2022 146,854 miles
Fail 25 Jan 2022 146,717 miles

Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Rear Suspension rod pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Trailing arm bushes perished (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Upper Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Rear axle bump stops missing

Pass 21 Jan 2021 141,850 miles

Front Seat belt slightly damaged Both (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Inside surfaces (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 24 Jan 2020 133,948 miles
Pass 31 Jan 2019 124,515 miles

Nearside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn Borderline pass (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Pass 29 Jan 2018 118,075 miles

Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened Both (5.2.2a)

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

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

Upper Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.B.2)

Fail 25 Jan 2018 117,978 miles

Headlamp aim too low Both (1.8)

Headlamp switch faulty (1.7.1)

Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened Both (5.2.2a)

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

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

Upper Driver's door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.B.2)

Pass 26 Jan 2017 112,476 miles

Exhaust corroded

Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened o/s and n/s (5.2.2a)

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

Pass 26 Jan 2016 104,528 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

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

Fail 20 Jan 2016 104,528 miles

Towbar mounting obviously of an inappropriate type (6.6.2)

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

Font brake discs slightly pitted

Headlamp aim too high both (1.8)

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

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

Pass 6 Jan 2015 95,427 miles

slight play in o/s/f lower swivel bearing

Pass 24 Jan 2014 85,995 miles

o/s/f and n/s/f seat belts slightly frayed

rear brake discs pitted and pads worn

rear tyres perished

Fail 24 Jan 2014 85,995 miles

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

o/s/f and n/s/f seat belts slightly frayed

rear brake discs pitted and pads worn

rear tyres perished

Pass 25 Jan 2013 77,690 miles

o/s/f and n/s/f seat belts slightly frayed

rear tyres starting to perish

Fail 24 Jan 2013 77,690 miles

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

o/s/f and n/s/f seat belts slightly frayed

rear tyres starting to perish

Pass 27 Jan 2012 70,881 miles

n/s/f seat belt fluffed

n/s/r lower shock bush worn - borderline pass

rear seats obstructed - unable to inspect seat belts

side steps corroded

tyres starting to perish

Pass 18 Jan 2011 61,778 miles

side steps corroded

Pass 29 Jan 2010 53,802 miles

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 28 Jan 2009 46,621 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 15 Jan 2008 38,596 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Pass 22 Jan 2007 29,170 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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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.

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AX53 FPU is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 AX53 FPU, 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 AX53 FPU?

You can check the full history of AX53 FPU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was AX53 FPU registered?

AX53 FPU is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 23 December 2003.

Is AX53 FPU safe to buy?

The MOT history for AX53 FPU shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does AX53 FPU 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 AX53 FPU. 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.