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VU53 WTY

2003 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Jul 2027
Tests28 (21 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

173,832 mi
Last recorded173,832 miles
Recorded on18 Jun 2026
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationVU53 WTY
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourGreen
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

21 pass 7 fail
Pass 18 Jun 2026 173,832 miles

Rear diff noise

Pass 23 Jun 2025 169,922 miles

Nearside Front Oil leak, but not excessive swivel housing (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Pass 14 Jun 2024 163,647 miles

Offside Front slight play in swivel housing

Pass 19 Jun 2023 158,824 miles
Pass 24 Jun 2022 153,809 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive both front swivel hub seals (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive rear of transfer box on outside of park brake drum (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 23 Jun 2021 148,241 miles

Advise slight play and slight seepage front swivel housing

Pass 23 Jun 2020 142,192 miles

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

Steering linkage ball joint has slight play steering box drop arm (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 21 Jun 2019 136,494 miles
Fail 21 Jun 2019 136,494 miles

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

Pass 11 Jun 2018 131,142 miles
Pass 4 Jul 2017 126,125 miles
Fail 4 Jul 2017 126,125 miles

Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 1 Jul 2016 117,949 miles

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

near side front axel swivel seal damp

rear prop shaft rear joint worn

transfer box oil leak

Fail 30 Jun 2016 117,942 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Front Lower Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a swivel pin (2.5.A.3b)

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

near side front axel swivel seal damp

rear prop shaft rear joint worn

transfer box oil leak

Pass 7 Jul 2015 110,387 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

all tyres slighty perished

front brake discs rusty

Pass 27 Jan 2015 110,317 miles

Nearside rear tyre outer wall is starting to perish.

Oil leak from transfer box area.

One rear registration plate lamp bulb isn't working.

Fail 26 Jan 2015 110,315 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside rear tyre outer wall is starting to perish.

Oil leak from transfer box area.

One rear registration plate lamp bulb isn't working.

Pass 20 Feb 2014 104,345 miles
Fail 20 Feb 2014 104,345 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Pass 22 Oct 2012 85,792 miles

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 12 Oct 2011 69,080 miles

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

Fail 11 Oct 2011 69,080 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Pass 23 Sep 2010 55,311 miles
Pass 26 Sep 2009 49,634 miles
Pass 10 Oct 2008 44,486 miles

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

Pass 11 Sep 2007 35,664 miles
Pass 17 Oct 2006 30,306 miles
Fail 17 Oct 2006 30,305 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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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VU53 WTY is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

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 VU53 WTY, 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 VU53 WTY?

You can check the full history of VU53 WTY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was VU53 WTY registered?

VU53 WTY is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 September 2003.

Is VU53 WTY safe to buy?

The MOT history for VU53 WTY shows 28 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does VU53 WTY 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 VU53 WTY. 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.