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BV53 WBD

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires14 Apr 2026
Tests29 (19 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate65.5%

Mileage

72,842 mi
Last recorded72,842 miles
Recorded on15 Apr 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBV53 WBD
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 15 Apr 2025 72,842 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 14 Apr 2025 72,841 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers damaged to the extent that it does not function (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers damaged to the extent that it does not function (5.3.2 (b))

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

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 4 Dec 2023 70,815 miles
Pass 2 Dec 2022 68,599 miles

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

Pass 11 Nov 2021 67,558 miles

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

Pass 4 Nov 2020 65,127 miles

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 4 Nov 2020 65,116 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Tyre fouling a part of the vehicle (5.2.3 (f))

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

Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 29 Nov 2019 63,007 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2018 60,498 miles
Pass 27 Nov 2017 58,324 miles

Offside front and nearside rear tyres heavily cracking and in poor condition.

Offside front inner brake back-plate insecure.

Rear suspension 'A' Frame balljoint has lift detected.

Fail 17 Nov 2017 58,314 miles

Direction indicators not working All indicators inoperative. (1.4.A.2c)

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Nearside Front Axle swivel joint has excessive movement between a swivel joint and its housing (2.5.A.1b)

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick Inner brake pad. (3.5.1g)

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 Trailing arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release Buckle damaged. (5.2.5a)

Offside Seat belt stitching badly frayed (5.2.2b)

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

Offside front and nearside rear tyres heavily cracking and in poor condition.

Offside front inner brake back-plate insecure.

Rear suspension 'A' Frame balljoint has lift detected.

Pass 16 Nov 2016 56,432 miles

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

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

Fail 8 Nov 2016 56,426 miles

Central Front Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

Nearside Front Front suspension has excessive movement at a suspension ball joint tractor joint (2.5.A.1c)

Nearside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement both (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement both (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Pass 3 Nov 2015 53,660 miles
Pass 3 Nov 2014 50,188 miles

nearside front tyre has age cracking

nearside rear tyre has age cracking

offside front tyre has age cracking

Fail 21 Oct 2014 50,095 miles

Centre Front Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

evidence of fluid around offside front swivel bearing seal

nearside front tyre has age cracking

nearside rear tyre has age cracking

offside front tyre has age cracking

Pass 2 Oct 2013 46,667 miles

7pin type tow electrics

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

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

Pass 28 Sep 2012 42,901 miles

front brake imbalance at limits ie 25%

Fail 21 Sep 2012 42,759 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Pass 15 Sep 2011 38,274 miles
Fail 14 Sep 2011 38,274 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a) DANGEROUS

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 16 Oct 2010 34,467 miles
Fail 16 Oct 2010 34,467 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Pass 12 Oct 2009 30,087 miles
Fail 8 Oct 2009 30,087 miles

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

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

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

Pass 1 Oct 2008 25,690 miles
Fail 1 Oct 2008 25,690 miles

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

Nearside Rear Trailing arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 12 Sep 2007 22,115 miles

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

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

Pass 14 Sep 2006 18,594 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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BV53 WBD 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 BV53 WBD, 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 BV53 WBD?

You can check the full history of BV53 WBD by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BV53 WBD registered?

BV53 WBD is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 10 September 2003.

Is BV53 WBD safe to buy?

The MOT history for BV53 WBD 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 BV53 WBD 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 BV53 WBD. 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.