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BF53 UPV

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Sep 2026
Tests29 (19 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate65.5%

Mileage

132,295 mi
Last recorded132,295 miles
Recorded on3 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 UPV
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourBlue
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 10 fail
Pass 3 Sep 2025 132,295 miles
Fail 3 Sep 2025 132,295 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp insecure (4.1.1 (c))

Pass 5 Sep 2024 128,132 miles
Fail 4 Sep 2024 128,152 miles

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

Pass 19 Sep 2023 125,434 miles
Pass 16 Sep 2022 122,614 miles

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

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

Pass 16 Sep 2021 122,103 miles

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

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

Pass 14 Sep 2020 121,963 miles

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

Fail 14 Sep 2020 121,963 miles

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 4 Sep 2019 121,874 miles

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

Fail 2 Sep 2019 121,873 miles

Central Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Bumper damaged and likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted corroded (6.1.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 5 Sep 2018 119,944 miles

Central Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 5 Sep 2018 119,940 miles

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

Electronic stability control warning lamp indicates a fault (7.12 (e))

Central Rear Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 20 Sep 2017 118,626 miles
Fail 15 Sep 2017 118,576 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Rear passenger door does not latch securely closed (6.2.B.1a)

Pass 12 Aug 2016 116,315 miles

Both rear tyres cracking

Nearside Front hub swivel seal slight leak

Fail 5 Aug 2016 116,282 miles

All position lamps not working (1.1.A.3b)

Brake pipe excessively corroded Both front to rear (3.6.B.2c)

Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam both (1.7.5a)

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

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Both rear tyres cracking

Nearside Front hub swivel seal slight leak

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

Pass 2 Jul 2015 115,426 miles

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

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

nsr tyre scrubbed and cracking

Pass 6 Jun 2014 114,263 miles

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 3 Jun 2014 114,263 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a swivel pin (2.5.A.3b)

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

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 30 Apr 2013 104,788 miles
Fail 29 Apr 2013 104,783 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

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

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

Offside Front Lower Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 13 Jul 2012 96,049 miles

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

nsr tyre scrubbed on wall

swivels damp

Fail 25 Jun 2012 95,298 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device does not fasten securely by positive means (7.2.4b)

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

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

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

front swivels damp

nsr tyre scrubbed on wall

Pass 21 Jun 2011 83,711 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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

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

nsf swivel leaking grease

Pass 11 May 2010 71,662 miles
Pass 7 May 2009 61,133 miles
Pass 22 May 2008 51,438 miles

wiper blades not clearing very well nearside front side light flickers when tapped

Pass 11 May 2007 40,851 miles

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

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 UPV is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.5%.

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 UPV, 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 UPV?

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

What year was BF53 UPV registered?

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

Is BF53 UPV safe to buy?

The MOT history for BF53 UPV shows 29 tests with a 65.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BF53 UPV 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 UPV. 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.