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CE53 ECJ

2003 Land Rover Defender

Grey Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Oct 2026
Tests30 (20 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

161,945 mi
Last recorded161,945 miles
Recorded on14 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

RegistrationCE53 ECJ
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourGrey
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 14 Oct 2025 161,945 miles

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

Pass 15 Oct 2024 158,259 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2023 153,243 miles
Fail 16 Oct 2023 153,243 miles

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid level significantly below minimum level (1.1.10 (d) (ii))

Pass 18 Oct 2022 148,306 miles
Pass 15 Oct 2021 143,922 miles

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt drop arm (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 15 Oct 2020 139,540 miles
Fail 15 Oct 2020 139,540 miles

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

Pass 11 Oct 2019 134,932 miles
Pass 11 Oct 2018 129,575 miles
Pass 10 Oct 2017 122,322 miles
Pass 12 Oct 2016 114,523 miles
Fail 7 Oct 2016 114,440 miles

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings chassis (6.1.B.2)

Pass 7 Oct 2015 106,911 miles
Fail 2 Oct 2015 106,911 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too far to the right (1.8)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too far to the right (1.8)

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

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement Axle end (2.4.G.2)

Pass 1 Oct 2014 97,808 miles
Fail 26 Sep 2014 97,615 miles

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

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Pass 17 Sep 2013 89,406 miles
Pass 18 Sep 2012 80,817 miles
Pass 20 Sep 2011 73,182 miles

Exhaust touching n/s chassis

Nearside Outer Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Fail 20 Sep 2011 73,182 miles

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

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate (1.1.C.1e)

Exhaust touching n/s chassis

Nearside Outer Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 14 Sep 2010 62,757 miles
Fail 14 Sep 2010 62,757 miles

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

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

Pass 7 Sep 2009 52,585 miles
Fail 2 Sep 2009 52,317 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

steering damper slight play in bush

Pass 22 Oct 2008 44,572 miles
Fail 21 Oct 2008 44,572 miles

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

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

REAR AXLE PINION OIL SEAL LEAKING

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

Pass 26 Oct 2007 35,727 miles

FRONT BRAKE PADS LOW

REAR AXLE PINION OIL SEAL LEAKING * CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TAKING UP DRIVE

REAR SHOCK ABSORBER LOWER BUSHES SLIGHT PLAY

Fail 26 Oct 2007 35,727 miles

Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

FRONT BRAKE PADS LOW

REAR AXLE PINION OIL SEAL LEAKING * CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TAKING UP DRIVE

REAR SHOCK ABSORBER LOWER BUSHES SLIGHT PLAY

Pass 18 Oct 2006 26,458 miles

BOTH REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS, UPPER & LOWER BUSHES SLIGHT PLAY

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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CE53 ECJ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Grey 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 CE53 ECJ, 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 CE53 ECJ?

You can check the full history of CE53 ECJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was CE53 ECJ registered?

CE53 ECJ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 9 September 2003.

Is CE53 ECJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for CE53 ECJ 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 CE53 ECJ 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 CE53 ECJ. 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.