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CF53 CLY

2003 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Oct 2026
Tests23 (19 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate82.6%

Mileage

220,601 mi
Last recorded220,601 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationCF53 CLY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourRed
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 4 fail
Pass 28 Oct 2025 220,601 miles

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded Both sides (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 14 Oct 2024 220,353 miles

Front Inner Brake pad(s) wearing thin both sides (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Non obligatory mirror damaged

Offside Front damage on wing

wheels protruding wheel arches all round

Pass 28 Sep 2023 218,560 miles

Offside Front Non obligatory mirror damaged

Wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch all round

Pass 4 Oct 2022 213,990 miles

Offside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged (3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Direction indicator lens defective which has no effect on emitted light (4.4.1 (b) (i))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 27 Sep 2021 210,998 miles

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

Offside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 18 Sep 2020 204,947 miles

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

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Sep 2019 193,985 miles

Front Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn both sides (5.1.2 (b) (i))

Pass 6 Oct 2018 188,255 miles

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

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing n/s+o/s front and rear (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 1 Oct 2018 188,255 miles

Headlamp not working on dipped beam n/s+o/s (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Headlamp not working on main beam n/s+o/s (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Lower Steering column universal joint insecure (2.1.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Seat belt buckle not functioning as intended reciever (7.1.2 (d))

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Direction indicator lens defective such that the emitted light is adversely affected (4.4.1 (b) (ii))

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

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

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

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing n/s+o/s front and rear (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 27 Sep 2017 179,363 miles
Pass 4 Mar 2016 176,825 miles
Pass 22 Jan 2015 165,929 miles
Pass 21 Feb 2014 153,981 miles
Fail 18 Feb 2014 153,980 miles

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

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

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Rear fog lamp emits a light other than red (1.3.2e)

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

Pass 4 Feb 2013 146,491 miles

Oil leak

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

Pass 5 Jan 2012 138,873 miles
Pass 13 Jan 2011 130,134 miles
Fail 13 Jan 2011 130,134 miles

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

Pass 13 Jan 2010 118,930 miles

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 26 Feb 2009 100,887 miles

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

rear number plate slightly deteriorated

Oil leak

Fail 26 Feb 2009 100,887 miles

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

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

rear number plate slightly deteriorated

Oil leak

Pass 29 Feb 2008 78,620 miles
Pass 21 Dec 2006 53,618 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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CF53 CLY is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 82.6%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 CF53 CLY, 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 CF53 CLY?

You can check the full history of CF53 CLY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was CF53 CLY registered?

CF53 CLY is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 December 2003.

Is CF53 CLY safe to buy?

The MOT history for CF53 CLY shows 23 tests with a 82.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does CF53 CLY 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 CF53 CLY. 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.