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BF53 PJV

2003 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Oct 2026
Tests23 (18 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate78.3%

Mileage

138,075 mi
Last recorded138,075 miles
Recorded on11 Sep 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

RegistrationBF53 PJV
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourGreen
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 11 Sep 2025 138,075 miles
Fail 9 Sep 2025 138,073 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Service brake is causing the vehicle to swerve to the offside (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Pass 1 Oct 2024 136,632 miles

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 20 Sep 2023 134,721 miles
Pass 15 Sep 2022 131,817 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2021 129,267 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2020 126,937 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2019 122,561 miles
Pass 16 Mar 2018 118,878 miles

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

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

Pass 9 Mar 2017 116,105 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

both swivel joints have slight leak

rear body mount / outrigger has slight corrosion

Pass 30 Mar 2016 112,753 miles

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

both front swivel joints has slight leakage

headlamp aim only just met minimum standards

rear body outrigger corroded but not weakened

Pass 6 Mar 2015 108,292 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is distorted but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

body box section corroding

n/s and o/s rear shocker lower rubbers deterioating

Pass 6 Mar 2014 102,444 miles
Pass 27 Mar 2013 95,532 miles

front springs corroding

n/s side step corroding

o/s/r top shocker bush weak

oil leak on engine

oil leak on transfer box

rear brake flexi pipe ferrels corroding

rear exhaust boxes corroding

slight up and down movement on n/s/f track rod end underload

Fail 27 Mar 2013 95,532 miles

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

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

front springs corroding

n/s side step corroding

o/s/r top shocker bush weak

oil leak on engine

oil leak on transfer box

rear brake flexi pipe ferrels corroding

rear exhaust boxes corroding

slight up and down movement on n/s/f track rod end underload

Pass 5 Apr 2012 84,217 miles

front brake discs worn

o/s/f brake binding slightly

o/s/f brake pads worn low

Fail 3 Apr 2012 84,217 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

front brake discs worn

main beam tell tale n/w

o/s/f brake binding slightly

o/s/f brake pads worn low

Pass 1 Oct 2010 66,163 miles
Fail 30 Sep 2010 66,163 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Position lamp switch faulty (1.1.A.1)

Pass 31 Mar 2009 51,681 miles
Fail 31 Mar 2009 51,681 miles

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

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Pass 26 Nov 2007 34,206 miles
Pass 20 Nov 2006 25,274 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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BF53 PJV is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Green 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 BF53 PJV, 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 BF53 PJV?

You can check the full history of BF53 PJV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BF53 PJV registered?

BF53 PJV is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 12 December 2003.

Is BF53 PJV safe to buy?

The MOT history for BF53 PJV 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 BF53 PJV 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 BF53 PJV. 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.