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BF03 DCE

2003 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires25 Mar 2026
Tests23 (18 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate78.3%

Mileage

145,916 mi
Last recorded145,916 miles
Recorded on26 Mar 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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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBF03 DCE
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourBlack
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 5 fail
Pass 26 Mar 2025 145,916 miles
Fail 19 Mar 2025 145,913 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn radius arm bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 15 Dec 2023 143,165 miles
Pass 9 Dec 2022 141,921 miles
Pass 2 Dec 2021 140,713 miles
Pass 1 Dec 2020 137,105 miles
Pass 8 Jan 2019 133,559 miles

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

Offside swivel joint leaking grease slightly

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

Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush both rear both bushes (5.3.2 (c))

Suspension arm ball joint has slight play rear A frame (5.3.4 (a) (i))

front number plate slightly damaged

Fail 8 Jan 2019 133,559 miles

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

Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside swivel joint leaking grease slightly

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

Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush both rear both bushes (5.3.2 (c))

Suspension arm ball joint has slight play rear A frame (5.3.4 (a) (i))

front number plate slightly damaged

Pass 8 Jan 2018 130,132 miles

Oil leak ()

Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint A frame (2.4.G.2)

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush both rear lower (2.7.4)

both swivel joints damp

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

front number plate cracked

Pass 19 Dec 2016 127,373 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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

Pass 18 Dec 2015 124,015 miles

Brake pad(s) wearing thin both front (3.5.1g)

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

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush both rear lower (2.7.4)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit both front (4.1.E.1)

Pass 19 Jun 2014 116,062 miles

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

Fail 17 Jun 2014 116,052 miles

Exhaust catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard (7.1.3)

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Centre Torque/reaction arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 10 Jun 2013 112,945 miles
Fail 11 Jun 2012 111,008 miles

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

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

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a seal (2.3.3b)

Pass 11 Jun 2012 111,008 miles

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

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a seal (2.3.3b)

Fail 5 May 2011 109,583 miles

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

Pass 5 May 2011 109,583 miles
Pass 14 Apr 2010 100,085 miles

Front brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

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

Oil leak

Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 8 Apr 2009 88,394 miles
Pass 10 Apr 2008 77,518 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 11 Apr 2007 64,675 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 3 Apr 2006 51,032 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.

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BF03 DCE is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 78.3%.

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 BF03 DCE, 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 BF03 DCE?

You can check the full history of BF03 DCE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BF03 DCE registered?

BF03 DCE is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 13 March 2003.

Is BF03 DCE safe to buy?

The MOT history for BF03 DCE shows 23 tests with a 78.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BF03 DCE 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 BF03 DCE. 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.