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BD53 YFB

2003 Land Rover Defender

Silver Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Jan 2027
Tests27 (21 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

152,371 mi
Last recorded152,371 miles
Recorded on9 Dec 2025
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

RegistrationBD53 YFB
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

21 pass 6 fail
Pass 9 Dec 2025 152,371 miles

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

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

Pass 19 Dec 2024 151,519 miles

Central Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 6 Dec 2023 150,457 miles

Nearside Front Outer steering swival ball joint slight weepage

Offside Front Outer Steering swival ball joint slight weepage

Pass 8 Dec 2022 149,678 miles
Pass 7 Dec 2021 148,807 miles

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush perished (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

Pass 7 Dec 2020 147,306 miles

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush cracked and perished (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush cracked and perished (5.3.2 (c))

Fail 7 Dec 2020 147,306 miles

Nearside Rear Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush cracked and perished (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush cracked and perished (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 6 Dec 2019 146,055 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt rear (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Nearside Front Valve stem slightly damaged (5.2.3 (j))

Offside Front Valve stem slightly damaged (5.2.3 (j))

Offside Rear Valve stem slightly damaged (5.2.3 (j))

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

Pass 7 Dec 2018 144,066 miles

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

Pass 8 Dec 2017 142,547 miles
Pass 13 Dec 2016 140,922 miles

Nearside rear tyre valve deteriorated.

Oil leak around prop shaft drum. Parking brake efficiency low.

Pass 5 Jan 2016 139,178 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2016 139,178 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 16 Feb 2015 131,515 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 4 Mar 2014 121,365 miles

Trailor socket heavily corroded

Fail 26 Feb 2014 121,363 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Indicator switch insecure (1.4.A.1)

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

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

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

Trailor socket heavily corroded

Pass 7 Mar 2013 108,981 miles

rear seats removed

Fail 6 Mar 2013 108,981 miles

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Rear position lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

rear seats removed

Pass 13 Apr 2012 95,973 miles

high level brakelight n/w

Pass 15 Apr 2011 85,147 miles

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1b)

long hand brake travel

Pass 19 Apr 2010 73,608 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Fail 15 Apr 2010 73,608 miles

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

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 16 Apr 2009 66,405 miles
Pass 8 Apr 2008 59,689 miles
Pass 12 Dec 2007 59,090 miles
Fail 12 Dec 2007 59,090 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Pass 6 Dec 2006 49,869 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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BD53 YFB 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 77.8%.

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 BD53 YFB, 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 BD53 YFB?

You can check the full history of BD53 YFB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BD53 YFB registered?

BD53 YFB is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 26 November 2003.

Is BD53 YFB safe to buy?

The MOT history for BD53 YFB shows 27 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BD53 YFB 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 BD53 YFB. 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.