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YF53 NFY

2003 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 May 2027
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

238,417 mi
Last recorded238,417 miles
Recorded on29 May 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 NFY
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

19 pass 8 fail
Pass 29 May 2026 238,417 miles

Offside Rear Outer Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 27 May 2025 230,289 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Suspension component mounting prescribed area damaged but not considered excessive chassis leg (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Suspension component mounting prescribed area damaged but not considered excessive chassis leg (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

underbody corrosion

Pass 13 Sep 2024 227,755 miles

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

Pass 21 Aug 2023 222,591 miles
Pass 31 May 2022 218,672 miles

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

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

Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 7 Apr 2021 211,353 miles

slight underside corrosion

Pass 20 Aug 2019 207,263 miles
Fail 20 Aug 2019 207,263 miles

Stop lamp(s) not working fit stop light switch (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 20 Feb 2017 204,287 miles

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

Fail 18 Feb 2017 204,287 miles

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

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

Fail 12 Jan 2017 204,230 miles

Driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. (6.2.A.3)

Intermediate drop arm insecure split pin missing off steering box arm (2.2.B.1a)

Nearside Front Seat belt damaged sufficient to significantly weakened the webbing passengers front (5.2.2a)

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

Offside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint bottom swivel pin (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front Seat belt has a cut which has significantly weakened the webbing drivers belt (5.2.2a)

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Steering column universal joint has excessive play bottom uj closest to the steering box (2.1.5)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint bottom swivel pin (2.5.B.1a)

Pass 21 Nov 2015 191,093 miles

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

Nearside Front wiper arm missing

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

Rear step insecure

registration plate delaminated but not likely to be misread and cracked (6.3.1d)

Fail 21 Nov 2015 191,093 miles

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

Nearside Front wiper arm missing

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

Rear step insecure

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

registration plate delaminated but not likely to be misread and cracked (6.3.1d)

Pass 19 Nov 2014 178,959 miles
Pass 3 Jun 2014 174,822 miles
Pass 11 May 2013 160,314 miles
Pass 11 May 2012 148,093 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2011 138,198 miles
Pass 11 May 2010 126,308 miles

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

n/s steering swivell leak

rear reg plate

Fail 11 May 2010 126,308 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

n/s steering swivell leak

rear reg plate

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

Pass 29 Jul 2009 119,531 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 29 Jul 2009 119,531 miles

Front registration plate character(s) likely to be misread (6.3.4b)

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 25 Jul 2008 98,294 miles

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

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Fail 25 Jul 2008 98,294 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator excessively damaged so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.4.A.2e)

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

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Pass 30 Jul 2007 78,390 miles
Fail 25 Jul 2007 78,388 miles

Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar worn and seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Steering component is not secure to the vehicle structure (2.2.B.1a)

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 9 Aug 2006 57,910 miles

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

Offside Rear Torque/reaction arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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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YF53 NFY 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 70.4%.

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 NFY, 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 NFY?

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

What year was YF53 NFY registered?

YF53 NFY is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 7 November 2003.

Is YF53 NFY safe to buy?

The MOT history for YF53 NFY shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YF53 NFY 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 NFY. 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.