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CE53 VDM

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Sep 2026
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

117,913 mi
Last recorded117,913 miles
Recorded on21 Aug 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationCE53 VDM
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 8 fail
Pass 21 Aug 2025 117,913 miles

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

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

Pass 19 Aug 2024 115,980 miles

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

Pass 22 Aug 2023 113,566 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2022 111,121 miles

COOLANT LEAKING FROM ENGINE

Pass 1 Sep 2021 108,864 miles
Pass 26 Aug 2020 106,918 miles

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

Nearside Rear Outer Towbar fractured not seriously affecting its strength with 30cm of a towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Fail 26 Aug 2020 106,918 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (8.2.2.2 (b))

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

Nearside Rear Outer Towbar fractured not seriously affecting its strength with 30cm of a towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Pass 7 Aug 2019 104,267 miles

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 7 Aug 2019 104,262 miles

Brake servo damaged and function impaired cracked at master cylinder mounting point (1.1.3 (e))

Exhaust emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit Exhaust emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit (1.93 ppm) (8.2.2.2 (a))

Hydraulic brake cylinder cracked at servo mounting (1.1.16 (a) (i))

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 29 Aug 2018 101,483 miles
Fail 28 Aug 2018 101,479 miles

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Exhaust emissions exceed level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine (8.2.2.2 (b))

Pass 17 Aug 2017 97,760 miles
Fail 17 Aug 2017 97,755 miles

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

Pass 25 Aug 2016 94,860 miles

coil spring corroded all coil springs corroded (2.4.C.1b)

service brake efficiency just met

Fail 22 Aug 2016 94,804 miles

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

coil spring corroded all coil springs corroded (2.4.C.1b)

service brake efficiency just met

Pass 11 Aug 2015 91,737 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Fail 10 Aug 2015 91,711 miles

Offside Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

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

Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 20 Aug 2014 87,034 miles

Offside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

light fraying both front seat belts

o/s/r bump stop missing

Fail 20 Aug 2014 87,034 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

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

coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

light fraying both front seat belts

o/s/r bump stop missing

Pass 2 Sep 2013 83,018 miles
Pass 1 Sep 2012 76,626 miles
Pass 15 Aug 2011 68,027 miles
Pass 25 Aug 2010 60,724 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2009 50,655 miles

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Pass 13 Aug 2008 41,291 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2007 39,252 miles
Fail 21 Sep 2007 39,250 miles

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

Pass 6 Oct 2006 35,687 miles

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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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CE53 VDM is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 CE53 VDM, 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 VDM?

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

What year was CE53 VDM registered?

CE53 VDM is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 30 September 2003.

Is CE53 VDM safe to buy?

The MOT history for CE53 VDM shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does CE53 VDM 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 VDM. 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.