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W12 MSM

2003 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 Mar 2027
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

213,508 mi
Last recorded213,508 miles
Recorded on17 Mar 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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Vehicle Details

RegistrationW12 MSM
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

20 pass 5 fail
Pass 17 Mar 2026 213,508 miles

Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement All front bushes in both front suspension arms are worn but no excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Slight play in steering box drop arm ball joint

Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

Pass 20 Mar 2025 211,245 miles

N/S/F high beam n/w

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

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

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

dipped beam operate when side lights selected

Pass 18 Mar 2024 208,899 miles

N/S centre aftermarket high beam n/w

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

O/S washer jet not working

Pass 17 Mar 2023 206,157 miles

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

Nearside Front Outer slight oil seepage from outer axle joint

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both hockey stick bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 22 Mar 2022 203,311 miles

Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both hockey stick bushes (x4) (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play end track rod end (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Windscreen wiper blade defective both front split on ends (3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 22 Mar 2022 203,310 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play front track rod end (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt off steering box (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both hockey stick bushes (x4) (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play end track rod end (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Windscreen wiper blade defective both front split on ends (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Mar 2021 199,725 miles
Pass 16 Mar 2020 195,506 miles

Brake and clutch pedal rubbers worn

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Windscreen wiper blade defective blade split (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 15 Mar 2019 189,107 miles

Fluid leak, but not excessive coolant (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

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

slight play in steering.

Pass 16 Mar 2018 182,148 miles

Central Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Slight leak from offside front hub seal

Fail 15 Mar 2018 182,140 miles

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

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

Central Front Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Slight leak from offside front hub seal

Pass 3 Mar 2017 176,577 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases mid to rear join (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 22 Mar 2016 171,533 miles
Pass 25 Mar 2015 167,863 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Fail 25 Mar 2015 167,855 miles

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

Front Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 13 Feb 2014 164,733 miles

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

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Fail 12 Feb 2014 164,723 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 11 Feb 2013 157,534 miles
Pass 18 Feb 2012 153,430 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 19 Apr 2010 149,523 miles
Fail 20 Apr 2009 139,099 miles

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Pass 20 Apr 2009 139,099 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2008 116,404 miles
Pass 26 Feb 2007 92,609 miles
Pass 28 Feb 2006 71,526 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

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W12 MSM is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Green with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

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 W12 MSM, 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 W12 MSM?

You can check the full history of W12 MSM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was W12 MSM registered?

W12 MSM is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 1 March 2003.

Is W12 MSM safe to buy?

The MOT history for W12 MSM shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does W12 MSM 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 W12 MSM. 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.