CarVerify

Free Car Check

CE53 VCW

2003 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Nov 2026
Tests31 (22 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate71%

Mileage

150,172 mi
Last recorded150,172 miles
Recorded on28 Oct 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationCE53 VCW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourBlack
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

22 pass 9 fail
Pass 28 Oct 2025 150,172 miles

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

Fail 24 Oct 2025 150,169 miles

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

Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened All discs (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

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

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

Pass 6 Nov 2024 148,485 miles

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

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

Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Cross member (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 18 Dec 2023 146,772 miles

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

Pass 2 Dec 2022 142,799 miles
Pass 1 Dec 2021 135,722 miles
Pass 5 Aug 2021 132,731 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 5 Aug 2021 132,731 miles

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Central Rear axel ball joint dust cover deteriorated

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 20 Aug 2020 130,675 miles
Fail 18 Aug 2020 130,675 miles

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 4 Sep 2019 127,587 miles
Pass 15 Feb 2019 125,032 miles
Pass 9 Feb 2018 120,638 miles
Fail 7 Feb 2018 120,638 miles

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

Service brake is causing the vehicle to swerve to the nearside (3.7.C.2)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 23 May 2017 117,831 miles
Fail 22 May 2017 117,830 miles

Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (8.4.1)

Nearside Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle lazy (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Pass 18 Jul 2016 116,916 miles
Pass 10 Aug 2015 116,266 miles
Pass 12 Aug 2014 115,519 miles
Fail 12 Aug 2014 115,519 miles

Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 20 Jul 2013 114,762 miles
Pass 9 Aug 2012 103,741 miles

Offside Front Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 9 Jun 2011 101,249 miles

Offside Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Seat belt stitching slightly frayed (5.2.2b)

front discs worn. heat fractures

Pass 6 Apr 2011 211,390 miles

Centre Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

front brake discs worn

rear brake discs worn.heat fractures

Fail 6 Apr 2011 211,390 miles

Centre Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Nearside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

front brake discs worn

rear brake discs worn.heat fractures

Pass 16 Mar 2010 206,576 miles
Pass 7 Nov 2008 194,497 miles

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

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

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

Fail 7 Nov 2008 194,497 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 10 Nov 2007 182,447 miles
Fail 7 Nov 2007 182,367 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Pass 13 Oct 2006 170,796 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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

CE53 VCW is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71%.

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 VCW, 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 VCW?

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

What year was CE53 VCW registered?

CE53 VCW is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 27 October 2003.

Is CE53 VCW safe to buy?

The MOT history for CE53 VCW shows 31 tests with a 71% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does CE53 VCW 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 VCW. 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.