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YH53 TUW

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires26 Mar 2026
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

115,773 mi
Last recorded115,773 miles
Recorded on21 Mar 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationYH53 TUW
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourBlue
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 21 Mar 2025 115,773 miles

Central Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play pittman arm ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fail 20 Mar 2025 115,773 miles

Front Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Front Prop shaft joint excessively worn (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Central Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play pittman arm ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 27 Mar 2024 109,075 miles

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

Nearside Rear bump stop missing

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

Offside Rear bump stop missing

horn poor

Pass 24 Mar 2023 99,031 miles
Pass 25 Mar 2022 96,428 miles

Rear rear crossmember corroded towbar remove

Fail 24 Mar 2022 96,427 miles

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting cromember (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Rear Fuel system component leaking filter (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting crossmember (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Pass 24 Mar 2021 94,089 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material BOTH front brake pipes from axle flexi to caliper flexis (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar attachment bracket/mounting damaged but its strength is not seriously reduced 'D' bush bracket damaged slightly (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 'D' bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Brake pipe from axle flexi along axle to caliper flexi (1.1.11 (c))

Oil leak, but not excessive Dusting of oil around bottom of both engine and gearbox, light dusting around rear differential drive seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 24 Mar 2021 94,089 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen washer jet tilted slightly too far forward (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers likely to become detached Lower mount corroded / Detached (5.3.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material BOTH front brake pipes from axle flexi to caliper flexis (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar attachment bracket/mounting damaged but its strength is not seriously reduced 'D' bush bracket damaged slightly (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 'D' bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Brake pipe from axle flexi along axle to caliper flexi (1.1.11 (c))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive Dusting of oil around bottom of both engine and gearbox, light dusting around rear differential drive seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Jan 2020 92,174 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both front from flexi to caliper (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 4 Jan 2019 88,012 miles
Pass 3 Jan 2018 82,819 miles
Pass 30 Dec 2016 76,777 miles

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

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

Pass 14 Dec 2015 70,311 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Fail 10 Dec 2015 70,268 miles

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

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 7 Jan 2015 63,639 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2015 63,637 miles

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

Pass 12 Sep 2014 63,373 miles

steering damper has slight play in rubber bush

steering wheel cover splitting

Pass 18 Sep 2013 58,012 miles
Pass 20 Sep 2012 51,528 miles
Pass 20 Sep 2011 45,588 miles

Oil leak

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

small chip in off side headlamp

Pass 28 Sep 2010 38,319 miles
Pass 20 Oct 2009 31,873 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2008 26,184 miles
Pass 30 Oct 2007 20,356 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2006 15,584 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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YH53 TUW is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Blue 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 YH53 TUW, 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 YH53 TUW?

You can check the full history of YH53 TUW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was YH53 TUW registered?

YH53 TUW is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 26 September 2003.

Is YH53 TUW safe to buy?

The MOT history for YH53 TUW 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 YH53 TUW 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 YH53 TUW. 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.