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BH03 BUS

2003 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Sep 2026
Tests30 (20 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

177,217 mi
Last recorded177,217 miles
Recorded on17 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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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBH03 BUS
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourBlack
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

20 pass 10 fail
Pass 17 Sep 2025 177,217 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases In engine bay. (6.1.2 (a))

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Both sides, on caliper. (1.1.11 (c))

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

Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Both sides. (4.1.4 (b))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material On caliper. (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Other passenger door hinge deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt buckle slightly damaged Rear side facing seats. front of two. (7.1.2 (d))

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

Rear Coil spring corroded Both sides. (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed fist row of passenger seats rear, Both sides. (7.1.2 (b))

Pass 3 Sep 2024 175,199 miles

FRONT SEAT BELT WEBBING POOR

GENERAL UNDERSIDE CORRODED

O/S/R DOOR CHECK STRAP BROKEN

Fail 8 Sep 2023 175,125 miles

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

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Rear Fuel system component leaking excessively or a risk of fire (6.1.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Front Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Non obligatory mirror damaged ()

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

Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 16 Jun 2022 174,539 miles

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

Front Coil spring corroded both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Non obligatory mirror damaged ()

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

Pass 6 Jan 2021 170,288 miles

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

Offside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged Mirror glass has crack (3.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 12 Jul 2019 167,086 miles

Offside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged Mirror glass has crack (3.3 (b) (i))

Fail 11 Jul 2019 167,086 miles

Direction indicator incorrect colour Has damaged lense (4.4.3 (a))

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases Middle section behind box has major leak (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

Offside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged Mirror glass has crack (3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 22 Jun 2018 162,656 miles
Fail 15 Jun 2018 162,368 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded Front to rear. (1.1.11 (c))

Brake performance not tested (1.2.1 (g))

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 23 Jun 2017 158,560 miles
Pass 16 Jun 2016 155,650 miles

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

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

Fail 16 Jun 2016 155,650 miles

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

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

Pass 11 Jun 2015 145,904 miles

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

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 19 Jun 2014 131,568 miles
Fail 19 Jun 2014 131,568 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

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

Pass 24 Jun 2013 121,344 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)

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

Pass 22 Jun 2012 112,028 miles
Fail 21 Jun 2012 112,028 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

Offside Front Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Pass 23 Jun 2011 96,653 miles
Fail 22 Jun 2011 96,627 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

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

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

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

Pass 9 May 2011 964,139 miles
Pass 26 Mar 2011 96,104 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2010 90,485 miles
Fail 30 Mar 2010 90,482 miles

Brake master cylinder fluid level below minimum level (3.6.G.1e)

Front Windscreen wiper not operating automatically when switched on (8.2.1b)

Offside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the right. (1.8)

Offside Side repeater insecure (1.4.A.2b)

Pass 2 Mar 2009 73,598 miles
Fail 2 Mar 2009 73,598 miles

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

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

Pass 22 Feb 2008 58,174 miles
Pass 17 Feb 2007 49,505 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2006 43,416 miles
Fail 13 Feb 2006 43,407 miles

Centre Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

coolant leaking

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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BH03 BUS is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 30 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 BH03 BUS, 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 BH03 BUS?

You can check the full history of BH03 BUS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BH03 BUS registered?

BH03 BUS is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 3 March 2003.

Is BH03 BUS safe to buy?

The MOT history for BH03 BUS shows 30 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 BH03 BUS 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 BH03 BUS. 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.