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CA03 OPU

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Dec 2026
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

164,730 mi
Last recorded164,730 miles
Recorded on2 Dec 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

RegistrationCA03 OPU
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

20 pass 9 fail
Pass 2 Dec 2025 164,730 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt buckle slightly damaged cover missing (7.1.2 (d))

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

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

Pass 4 Nov 2024 162,130 miles

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

Nearside Front Seat belt buckle slightly damaged cover missing (7.1.2 (d))

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

Pass 8 Nov 2023 160,504 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2022 157,614 miles

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

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

Clutch pedal rubber missing

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

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

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

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

Rear Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Seat belt slightly damaged Both (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Fail 27 Sep 2022 157,614 miles

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

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

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

Clutch pedal rubber missing

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

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

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

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

Rear Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Seat belt slightly damaged Both (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Pass 23 Oct 2021 156,253 miles
Pass 23 Oct 2020 153,733 miles
Pass 24 Oct 2019 146,606 miles
Fail 22 Oct 2019 146,606 miles

Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Sep 2018 139,858 miles
Pass 26 Sep 2017 131,575 miles
Fail 25 Sep 2017 131,575 miles

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

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

Offside Front brake disc contaminated by oil hub seal (3.5.1h)

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

Pass 22 Sep 2016 120,560 miles
Fail 20 Sep 2016 120,560 miles

Ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt drop arm (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

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

Pass 29 Sep 2015 112,807 miles
Fail 23 Sep 2015 112,807 miles

Ball joint has excessive play drop arm (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

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

Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm both (4.1.E.1)

Pass 22 Sep 2014 99,414 miles
Fail 19 Sep 2014

Nearside Front brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

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

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

Offside Front brake disc contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

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

Pass 19 Sep 2013 86,578 miles
Fail 18 Sep 2013 86,578 miles

Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Pass 21 Sep 2012 77,762 miles
Fail 20 Sep 2012 77,756 miles

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

Pass 15 Sep 2011 72,345 miles
Fail 13 Sep 2011 72,345 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Rear brake caliper leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

Pass 28 Sep 2010 64,188 miles
Pass 24 Sep 2009 56,121 miles
Pass 26 Sep 2008 45,381 miles
Pass 27 Sep 2007 37,504 miles
Pass 29 Sep 2006 28,111 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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CA03 OPU 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 69%.

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 CA03 OPU, 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 CA03 OPU?

You can check the full history of CA03 OPU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was CA03 OPU registered?

CA03 OPU is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 July 2003.

Is CA03 OPU safe to buy?

The MOT history for CA03 OPU shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does CA03 OPU 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 CA03 OPU. 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.