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BF53 TVT

2003 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Nov 2026
Tests24 (16 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

180,242 mi
Last recorded180,242 miles
Recorded on24 Nov 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBF53 TVT
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

16 pass 8 fail
Pass 24 Nov 2025 180,242 miles

Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed both (7.1.2 (b))

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Suspension component corroded but not seriously weakened all (5.3.3 (b) (i))

under body corroded

Pass 16 Dec 2020 171,789 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Oil leak

Fail 8 Dec 2020 171,748 miles

Nearside Rear Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

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

Offside Rear Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Oil leak

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 6 Dec 2019 162,921 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Fail 4 Dec 2019 162,890 miles

Anti-roll bar pin or bush excessively worn both rear D bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Brake insecure rear pads pins missing (1.1.21 (c))

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

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

Nearside Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen (3.5 (a))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 29 Nov 2018 153,940 miles

Nearside Front Oil leak, but not excessive engine oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 8 Dec 2017 146,683 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement hockey stick front bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement hockey stick front bush (2.4.G.2)

Fail 1 Dec 2017 146,678 miles

Front Brake pipe excessively corroded - rear marked (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

Offside Front Brake pipe kinked on caliper (3.6.B.2b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively x2 split (8.2.2)

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement hockey stick front bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement hockey stick front bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 23 Nov 2016 144,999 miles

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

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

Fail 22 Nov 2016 144,999 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement link bar (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Ball joint dust cover missing steering idle arm (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement link bar (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

Pass 12 Aug 2015 138,750 miles

Centre to rear brake pipe corroded but not to excess.

Fail 7 Aug 2015 138,708 miles

Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated (3.6.G.2)

Brake pedal anti-slip provision incomplete (3.3.A.1b)

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively damaged (3.6.B.2c)

Both front wiper blades split at ends.

Bush on stearing shock absorber worn but not to excess.

Centre to rear brake pipe corroded but not to excess.

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Pass 14 Aug 2014 131,201 miles
Pass 21 Aug 2013 124,466 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2012 117,764 miles
Fail 21 Sep 2012 117,764 miles

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

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Fail 22 Sep 2011 110,682 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

rear diff oil leak - SEAL

Pass 22 Sep 2011 110,682 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

rear diff oil leak - SEAL

Pass 22 Sep 2010 98,206 miles

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

Fail 21 Sep 2010 98,206 miles

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

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

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

Pass 24 Sep 2009 88,991 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2008 81,958 miles
Pass 8 Aug 2007 62,077 miles
Pass 1 Sep 2006 44,571 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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BF53 TVT is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 TVT, 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 TVT?

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

What year was BF53 TVT registered?

BF53 TVT is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 4 September 2003.

Is BF53 TVT safe to buy?

The MOT history for BF53 TVT shows 24 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BF53 TVT 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 TVT. 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.