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BF53 UPR

2003 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 Jun 2027
Tests29 (21 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate72.4%

Mileage

100,634 mi
Last recorded100,634 miles
Recorded on9 Jun 2026
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationBF53 UPR
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourRed
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

21 pass 8 fail
Pass 9 Jun 2026 100,634 miles

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

Pass 19 Jun 2025 99,728 miles
Pass 7 Jun 2024 99,431 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 7 Jun 2024 99,340 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 19 Jun 2023 98,688 miles
Pass 6 Jun 2022 98,132 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2021 97,185 miles
Fail 26 May 2021 97,182 miles

Nearside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing so rough it is likely to overheat or break up (5.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Wheel bearing so rough it is likely to overheat or break up (5.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Central Rear Upper Sub-frame ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 8 Jun 2020 96,189 miles
Fail 5 Jun 2020 96,189 miles

Nearside Front Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover missing (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 31 May 2019 94,802 miles
Fail 20 May 2019 94,800 miles

Nearside Rear Towbar excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting chassis (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Offside Rear Towbar excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting chassis (6.1.6 (i) (i))

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

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

Pass 14 Jun 2018 94,243 miles
Fail 7 Jun 2018 94,243 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Jun 2017 93,216 miles
Pass 6 Jun 2016 91,079 miles
Fail 4 Jun 2015 88,178 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 4 Jun 2015 88,178 miles

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

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

Fail 2 Jun 2015 88,158 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

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

Pass 5 Jun 2014 85,448 miles
Pass 7 May 2013 80,510 miles

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

Offside Headlamp has a product on the light source but not seriously reducing light output (1.7.5a)

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

rear brakes out of balance30%

Pass 25 Jun 2012 77,573 miles

Nearside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Pass 12 May 2011 69,392 miles
Pass 27 May 2010 61,607 miles
Fail 24 May 2010 61,570 miles

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

Registration plate lamp shows direct white light to the rear (1.1.C.1f)

Pass 1 Jun 2009 53,632 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2008 42,388 miles
Pass 2 Jan 2007 34,342 miles
Pass 3 Jul 2006 29,293 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 UPR is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.4%.

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 UPR, 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 UPR?

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

What year was BF53 UPR registered?

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

Is BF53 UPR safe to buy?

The MOT history for BF53 UPR shows 29 tests with a 72.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BF53 UPR 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 UPR. 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.