CarVerify

Free Car Check

YK53 YTL

2003 Land Rover Defender

White Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Dec 2026
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

188,496 mi
Last recorded188,496 miles
Recorded on9 Dec 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Land Rover
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationYK53 YTL
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

20 pass 7 fail
Pass 9 Dec 2025 188,496 miles
Fail 9 Dec 2025 188,496 miles

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

Pass 2 Dec 2024 188,098 miles
Pass 14 Dec 2023 184,932 miles
Pass 6 Dec 2022 181,105 miles

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

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

Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Fail 6 Dec 2022 181,105 miles

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

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

Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Pass 17 Nov 2021 177,353 miles

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

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

Pass 2 Dec 2020 177,036 miles

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

Nearside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged (3.3 (b) (i))

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

Fail 2 Dec 2020 177,036 miles

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

Nearside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged (3.3 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 12 Nov 2019 171,971 miles

Nearside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged (3.3 (b) (i))

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

Fail 12 Nov 2019 171,971 miles

Nearside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged (3.3 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 18 Oct 2018 163,652 miles

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 31 Oct 2017 157,046 miles

Drag link end ball joint has slight play drop arm (2.2.B.1f)

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

Nearside Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Fail 31 Oct 2017 157,046 miles

Drag link end ball joint has slight play drop arm (2.2.B.1f)

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

Nearside Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 8 Nov 2016 146,827 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Nearside Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt drop arm (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 27 Oct 2015 134,660 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

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

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

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

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

Fail 27 Oct 2015 134,660 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

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

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

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

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 5 Nov 2014 123,564 miles

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

split in nearside rear tyre

Pass 1 Nov 2013 113,132 miles

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

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

Fail 30 Oct 2013 113,132 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (3.3.A.1b)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

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

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

Pass 2 Nov 2012 97,905 miles
Pass 14 Oct 2011 88,383 miles
Pass 18 Oct 2010 68,137 miles
Pass 20 Oct 2009 44,098 miles
Pass 25 Oct 2008 29,852 miles
Pass 8 Oct 2007 27,148 miles
Pass 11 Oct 2006 26,581 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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

YK53 YTL 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 74.1%.

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 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 YK53 YTL, 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 YK53 YTL?

You can check the full history of YK53 YTL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was YK53 YTL registered?

YK53 YTL is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 28 October 2003.

Is YK53 YTL safe to buy?

The MOT history for YK53 YTL shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YK53 YTL 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 YK53 YTL. 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.