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BN03 WLJ

2003 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires17 Mar 2026
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

175,956 mi
Last recorded175,956 miles
Recorded on13 Mar 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

RegistrationBN03 WLJ
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 8 fail
Pass 13 Mar 2025 175,956 miles

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

Fluid leak, but not excessive Fuel filter sign of sweating around casing, no leak during testing (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Front Headlamp lens slightly defective Both front headlight lenses faded, still producing a satisfied beam (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Oil leak, but not excessive oil leak front and rear diff (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive various areas at engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 13 Mar 2025 175,943 miles

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

Exhaust emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit (8.2.2.2 (a))

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

Fluid leak, but not excessive Fuel filter sign of sweating around casing, no leak during testing (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Front Headlamp lens slightly defective Both front headlight lenses faded, still producing a satisfied beam (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Oil leak, but not excessive oil leak front and rear diff (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive various areas at engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 18 Mar 2024 172,395 miles
Fail 11 Mar 2024 172,357 miles

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

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm joint boot (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Pass 17 Mar 2023 168,588 miles

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

Fail 17 Mar 2023 168,588 miles

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

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

Pass 17 Mar 2022 164,416 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2021 159,454 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive at rear of engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 4 Mar 2020 154,159 miles
Fail 18 Feb 2020 154,055 miles

Offside Front Axle swivel joint so worn or insecure in a stub axle that directional stability is impaired excessive free play (5.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Seat belt webbing significantly weakened drivers belt (7.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

oil leak

Pass 21 Feb 2019 144,086 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

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

Pass 13 Mar 2018 136,502 miles

Oil leak ()

Oil leak at diff ()

Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened both front belts (5.2.2a)

Pass 17 Mar 2017 130,578 miles

Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened both front belts (5.2.2a)

Pass 22 Feb 2016 125,152 miles
Pass 19 Feb 2015 116,797 miles

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

Pass 6 Mar 2014 110,746 miles

both rear shockabsorber top bushes showing movement

movement detected at o/s front drop arm ball joint // movement not excessive //

n/s front seatbelt showing damage

Fail 28 Feb 2014 110,706 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to significantly weakened the webbing (5.2.2a)

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

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

Pass 26 Feb 2013 102,275 miles

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

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

n/s front track rod end showing movement

oil leak

slight damage to n/s front seatbelt

slight windscreen damage

Pass 24 Feb 2012 93,241 miles
Fail 4 Mar 2011 74,507 miles

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Pass 4 Mar 2011 74,507 miles

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

Pass 3 Mar 2010 56,489 miles
Fail 25 Feb 2010 56,331 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

advise no plate on front be fixed

Fail 26 Feb 2009 48,702 miles

advise have changed pipe

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively chafed (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 26 Feb 2009 48,702 miles

advise have changed pipe

Pass 9 Jan 2008 39,773 miles
Pass 10 Jan 2007 32,071 miles

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

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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BN03 WLJ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Red 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 BN03 WLJ, 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 BN03 WLJ?

You can check the full history of BN03 WLJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BN03 WLJ registered?

BN03 WLJ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 22 March 2003.

Is BN03 WLJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for BN03 WLJ 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 BN03 WLJ 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 BN03 WLJ. 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.