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YH53 TVM

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Apr 2027
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

130,791 mi
Last recorded130,791 miles
Recorded on2 Apr 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

RegistrationYH53 TVM
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 9 fail
Pass 2 Apr 2026 130,791 miles
Fail 2 Apr 2026 130,791 miles

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Pass 26 Mar 2025 115,131 miles

Rear Park brake has littel reserve travel But has good reading

Fail 26 Mar 2025 115,131 miles

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

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear Park brake has littel reserve travel But has good reading

Rear Prop shaft bearing likely to break up shaft rear joint (6.1.7 (b) (ii))

Pass 22 Feb 2024 108,447 miles
Fail 26 Oct 2023 108,229 miles

Exhaust emissions exceed default limit of 1.5m-1 (8.2.2.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

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

Offside Front Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Intermediate drop arm likely to become detached steering arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 17 Oct 2022 99,018 miles
Pass 8 Oct 2021 91,135 miles

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

Offside Front Steering damper bush slight play.

Fail 8 Oct 2021 91,135 miles

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

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

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working Both front. (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Steering damper bush slight play.

Rear Position lamp not working Both rear (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 28 Sep 2020 86,651 miles
Fail 28 Sep 2020 86,651 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Outer Steering linkage ball joint has excessive play drop arm ball joint badly worn (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 2 Oct 2019 79,181 miles

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

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

both rear bump stops missing

Fail 2 Oct 2019 79,181 miles

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

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

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

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

both rear bump stops missing

Pass 4 Oct 2018 71,210 miles
Fail 1 Oct 2018 71,210 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii))

Pass 28 Sep 2017 63,868 miles
Fail 28 Sep 2017 63,868 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 30 Sep 2016 55,314 miles

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Fail 29 Sep 2016 55,314 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working high level (1.2.1b)

Front Inner Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick both (3.5.1g)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Rear Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Rear Inner Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

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

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid not working (8.2.3)

Steering box has a slight oil leak (2.2.D.2e)

Pass 25 Sep 2015 44,485 miles
Pass 25 Sep 2014 34,702 miles
Pass 1 Oct 2013 25,358 miles
Pass 26 Sep 2012 17,265 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2011 12,293 miles

front bumper damaged o/s

Pass 22 Sep 2010 10,790 miles
Pass 24 Sep 2009 9,187 miles
Pass 17 Sep 2008 7,596 miles
Pass 13 Sep 2007 6,236 miles
Pass 13 Sep 2006 4,776 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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YH53 TVM is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

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 YH53 TVM, 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 TVM?

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

What year was YH53 TVM registered?

YH53 TVM is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 27 September 2003.

Is YH53 TVM safe to buy?

The MOT history for YH53 TVM shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YH53 TVM 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 TVM. 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.