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YF53 NFT

2003 Land Rover Defender

Black Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Aug 2026
Tests26 (19 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate73.1%

Mileage

122,795 mi
Last recorded122,795 miles
Recorded on28 Aug 2025
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 NFT
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourBlack
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 7 fail
Pass 28 Aug 2025 122,795 miles
Pass 28 Aug 2024 113,814 miles

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

Pass 8 Feb 2023 107,903 miles

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 14 Feb 2022 97,347 miles

Front Both front hubseals

Front Wheel bearing has slight play both front (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Feb 2021 95,497 miles

Nearside Front hub seal slight leak

Offside Front hub seal slight leak

Pass 30 Jan 2020 94,699 miles
Pass 10 Dec 2018 91,170 miles

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 1 Dec 2017 84,416 miles
Fail 28 Nov 2017 84,411 miles

Brake pedal spongy (3.3.B.1b)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bearing link (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Axle swivel joint has excessive play (2.5.A.3b)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

rear parking brake recording little or no effort both rear (3.7.B.6a)

Pass 1 Dec 2016 79,087 miles
Fail 1 Dec 2016 79,085 miles

Headlamp aim too high Both (1.8)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Pass 24 Oct 2015 76,292 miles
Fail 23 Oct 2015 76,292 miles

Front Front wheel bearing rough when rotated both (2.5.A.2)

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

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Rear Trailing arm has excessive play in a pin/bush both front (2.4.G.2)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Pass 27 Oct 2014 67,175 miles
Fail 27 Oct 2014 67,175 miles

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Power steering pump leaking from a failed component (2.3.3b)

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

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

Pass 29 Oct 2013 57,423 miles

Both front swivel oil seals have slight oil leak

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

Fail 28 Oct 2013 57,419 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Service brake grabbing severely (3.7.C.2)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Nearside Side repeater missing (1.4.A.2b)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Both front swivel oil seals have slight oil leak

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

Pass 25 Oct 2012 49,997 miles
Fail 24 Oct 2012 49,997 miles

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

Pass 8 Nov 2011 45,448 miles
Pass 2 Nov 2010 39,484 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Rear Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

Fail 2 Nov 2010 39,484 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

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

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Rear Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

Pass 3 Nov 2009 34,193 miles
Pass 21 Oct 2008 27,489 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 29 Oct 2007 218,115 miles

o/s antiroll bar d bush has slight play

Pass 24 Oct 2006 16,249 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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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 NFT is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Black with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.1%.

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 YF53 NFT, 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 NFT?

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

What year was YF53 NFT registered?

YF53 NFT is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 31 October 2003.

Is YF53 NFT safe to buy?

The MOT history for YF53 NFT shows 26 tests with a 73.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YF53 NFT 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 NFT. 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.