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BF53 TFJ

2003 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Sep 2026
Tests23 (19 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate82.6%

Mileage

134,600 mi
Last recorded134,600 miles
Recorded on18 Sep 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBF53 TFJ
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

19 pass 4 fail
Pass 18 Sep 2025 134,600 miles

Drivers seat belt frayed

Offside headlamp lens cracked

Pass 18 Sep 2024 132,463 miles

Nearside front lower door hinge bracket broken/detached

Fail 4 Sep 2024 132,460 miles

Brake cable damaged Handbrake cable snapped (1.1.15 (a))

Offside Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Centre exhaust bracket broken/detached

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

Nearside front lower door hinge bracket broken/detached

Nearside rear upper shock absorber bush worn

Offside rear top and bottom shock absorber bushes worn out

Pass 6 Sep 2023 130,096 miles

Both rear lower shock absorber bushes worn

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

Rear exhaust bracket detached

Slight play in offside steering arm ball joint

Pass 7 Sep 2022 128,547 miles

Central exhaust bracket broken

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Fail 6 Sep 2022 128,546 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Steering lock stop incorrectly adjusted causing N.S.Front wheel to foul suspension arm (2.1.4 (b))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle by more than 50% Axle 1 (1.2.1 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Central exhaust bracket broken

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 15 Sep 2021 126,571 miles

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 28 Oct 2020 124,777 miles

Offside Rear Offside rear lower shock absorber bushes worn

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 15 Apr 2019 120,083 miles

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 11 Apr 2018 116,483 miles

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 12 Apr 2017 112,107 miles

Offside Headlamp cracked

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 12 Apr 2016 106,894 miles

Rear Registration plate deteriorated

Pass 10 Apr 2015 99,911 miles

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Fail 9 Apr 2015 99,906 miles

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

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 2 Apr 2014 94,366 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

exhaust system slight blow from center to rear section

oil leak from oil filter area

Pass 12 Apr 2013 89,105 miles

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Rear registration plate delaminated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 4 Apr 2012 83,495 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Fail 3 Apr 2012 83,487 miles

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

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

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 14 Apr 2011 79,154 miles
Pass 19 Jan 2010 70,002 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2008 58,022 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2007 49,201 miles
Pass 5 Sep 2006 37,524 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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BF53 TFJ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Grey with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 82.6%.

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 TFJ, 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 TFJ?

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

What year was BF53 TFJ registered?

BF53 TFJ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 September 2003.

Is BF53 TFJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for BF53 TFJ shows 23 tests with a 82.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BF53 TFJ 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 TFJ. 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.