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YF53 NFJ

2003 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Mar 2027
Tests27 (22 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate81.5%

Mileage

148,864 mi
Last recorded148,864 miles
Recorded on19 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

RegistrationYF53 NFJ
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourWhite
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 5 fail
Pass 19 Mar 2026 148,864 miles

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

Pass 18 Mar 2025 148,152 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 22 Mar 2024 147,336 miles

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

Pass 17 Mar 2023 146,407 miles
Pass 24 Mar 2022 145,083 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

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

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 26 Mar 2021 143,965 miles

Brake pedal spongy

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 19 Mar 2021 143,965 miles

Emissions not tested Excessive engine oil (8.2.2.2 (e))

Offside Front Brake pad(s) contaminated (1.1.13 (b))

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

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Brake pedal spongy

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

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

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

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 18 Mar 2020 142,604 miles

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

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

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

Fail 18 Mar 2020 142,584 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 7.50/r16c xzl 116/114n (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Rear Stop lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.3.3 (b))

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

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 20 Mar 2019 140,335 miles

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

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

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

Pass 21 Mar 2018 137,401 miles
Pass 20 Mar 2017 133,944 miles

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

Oil leak ()

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a pin/bush both rear d bushes (2.4.G.2)

Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush both rear shockers (2.7.4)

Rear coil spring corroded both rear coil springs (2.4.C.1b)

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 19 Mar 2016 130,064 miles

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

Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush both sides (2.7.4)

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

exhaust has slight corrosion

Pass 16 Mar 2015 126,923 miles
Pass 21 Mar 2014 124,367 miles
Pass 22 Mar 2013 119,820 miles

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

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

Pass 22 Mar 2012 115,735 miles
Pass 22 Mar 2011 111,613 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Pass 8 Mar 2010 107,145 miles

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

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

Pass 6 May 2009 98,479 miles

Front inner brake pads approx 2/3rds worn

Fail 5 May 2009 98,479 miles

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

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn shock absorber pivot (2.7.4)

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

Front inner brake pads approx 2/3rds worn

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

Pass 22 May 2008 85,339 miles

Nearside Front Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 16 Jul 2007 71,956 miles
Fail 10 Jul 2007 71,955 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 19 Jul 2006 53,755 miles
Pass 19 Jul 2006 53,755 miles
Fail 19 Jul 2006 53,755 miles

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Radius arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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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YF53 NFJ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in White with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 81.5%.

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 YF53 NFJ, 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 YF53 NFJ?

You can check the full history of YF53 NFJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was YF53 NFJ registered?

YF53 NFJ is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 5 November 2003.

Is YF53 NFJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for YF53 NFJ shows 27 tests with a 81.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YF53 NFJ 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 YF53 NFJ. 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.