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BJ03 VSU

2003 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 Nov 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

226,252 mi
Last recorded226,252 miles
Recorded on27 Oct 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

RegistrationBJ03 VSU
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

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 27 Oct 2025 226,252 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 25 Oct 2024 221,725 miles

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

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play very slight (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

both sides rear body supports/outriggers corroded[in front of rear wheels]

rear crossmember corroded

Pass 30 Oct 2023 214,692 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 1 Nov 2022 206,329 miles

Coil spring corroded all 4 (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Fail 28 Oct 2022 206,309 miles

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting crossmember (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Coil spring corroded all 4 (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 8 Nov 2021 196,177 miles

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

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 5 Nov 2020 188,621 miles

Front Inner Brake disc worn, but not excessively Faces (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

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

Reverse lights inoperative

Fail 5 Nov 2020 188,621 miles

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

Front Inner Brake disc worn, but not excessively Faces (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Headlamp insecure (4.1.1 (c))

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

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

Reverse lights inoperative

Pass 7 Oct 2019 182,236 miles

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

Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush both rear top (5.3.2 (c))

steering box drop arm joint slight wear

Pass 6 Nov 2018 176,360 miles

Coil spring corroded all 4 (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Fail 30 Oct 2018 176,351 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Coil spring corroded all 4 (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Aug 2017 166,696 miles

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 15 Aug 2016 157,001 miles

Nearside Front swivel joint slight seepage of oil

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

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

Pass 11 Sep 2015 151,039 miles
Pass 16 Sep 2014 140,478 miles
Fail 15 Sep 2014 140,478 miles

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

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

Pass 20 Jun 2013 129,865 miles

Body has slight displacement of the body relative to the chassis (6.1.B.1a)

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

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

Nearside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

all underside rusting

coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 18 May 2011 121,337 miles
Fail 18 May 2011 121,337 miles

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 19 May 2010 107,391 miles

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

dampness around master cylinder

Pass 8 May 2009 94,808 miles

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

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

Fail 9 May 2008

Nearside Rear Direction indicator adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.4.A.2h)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.3.2f)

Pass 9 May 2008
Pass 4 May 2007 66,480 miles
Pass 27 Apr 2006 46,850 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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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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BJ03 VSU is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 BJ03 VSU, 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 BJ03 VSU?

You can check the full history of BJ03 VSU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BJ03 VSU registered?

BJ03 VSU is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 12 May 2003.

Is BJ03 VSU safe to buy?

The MOT history for BJ03 VSU shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BJ03 VSU 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 BJ03 VSU. 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.