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BF53 UGC

2003 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Sep 2026
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

87,181 mi
Last recorded87,181 miles
Recorded on3 Sep 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationBF53 UGC
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

19 pass 8 fail
Pass 3 Sep 2025 87,181 miles

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Outer Sphere has misting of oil

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Pass 29 Aug 2024 85,010 miles

Nearside Front Tyre over ten years old fitted to a rear axle of a bus (5.2.3 (m))

Offside Front Tyre over ten years old fitted to a rear axle of a bus (5.2.3 (m))

Fail 29 Aug 2024 85,010 miles

Nearside Front Tyre over ten years old fitted to a rear axle of a bus (5.2.3 (m))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre over ten years old fitted to a rear axle of a bus (5.2.3 (m))

Pass 23 Aug 2023 84,401 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 23 Aug 2023 84,401 miles

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

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Jun 2022 82,288 miles

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

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 7 May 2021 79,144 miles

Nearside Front Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing side wall (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing side wall (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing side wall (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 7 May 2021 79,144 miles

Nearside Front Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing side wall (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing side wall (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing side wall (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 13 May 2020 77,202 miles

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

Central Rear Oil leak, but not excessive rear diff (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 13 May 2020 77,202 miles

Central Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers likely to become detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Central Rear Oil leak, but not excessive rear diff (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 9 Nov 2018 72,387 miles

Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced cross member (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 3 Nov 2017 68,976 miles
Fail 3 Nov 2017 68,976 miles

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 19 Aug 2016 64,648 miles

Rear Diff oil leak

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

Fail 19 Aug 2016 64,648 miles

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

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

Rear Diff oil leak

Pass 27 Aug 2015 61,142 miles
Fail 26 Aug 2015 61,142 miles

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Pass 13 Oct 2014 55,683 miles

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

Fail 13 Oct 2014 55,682 miles

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

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

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

Pass 1 Oct 2013 51,525 miles
Pass 2 Oct 2012 47,791 miles
Pass 12 Oct 2011 44,199 miles

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 13 Oct 2010 40,664 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2009 35,673 miles
Pass 15 Oct 2008 29,741 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2007 23,530 miles

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

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

Pass 14 Oct 2006 17,791 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 UGC is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.4%.

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 UGC, 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 UGC?

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

What year was BF53 UGC registered?

BF53 UGC is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 16 October 2003.

Is BF53 UGC safe to buy?

The MOT history for BF53 UGC shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BF53 UGC 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 UGC. 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.