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YS52 VWM

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires14 Jun 2027
Tests30 (22 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate73.3%

Mileage

199,679 mi
Last recorded199,679 miles
Recorded on15 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

RegistrationYS52 VWM
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

22 pass 8 fail
Pass 15 May 2026 199,679 miles

Central Oil leak, but not excessive transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Nearside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Offside Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Offside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Fail 15 May 2026 199,679 miles

Central Rear Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt A-frame (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Central Oil leak, but not excessive transfer box (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Nearside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Offside Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Offside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

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

Pass 15 May 2025 194,783 miles

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

Pass 30 May 2024 188,623 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Offside Front Inner hub seal leaking

Offside Front Seat belt buckle slightly damaged (7.1.2 (d))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 18 May 2023 181,478 miles
Pass 17 May 2022 174,727 miles

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

Fail 17 May 2022 174,727 miles

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

Pass 24 May 2021 168,570 miles
Fail 24 May 2021 168,570 miles

Drag link end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Pass 15 Jun 2020 163,235 miles
Fail 9 Jun 2020 163,231 miles

Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

headlamp switch dodgy

Pass 8 May 2019 153,173 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2018 142,177 miles

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Oil leak

Fail 12 Apr 2018 142,171 miles

Nearside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Oil leak

Pass 21 Apr 2017 135,026 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 4 May 2016 127,995 miles
Fail 3 May 2016 127,995 miles

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

Offside Rear position lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

Pass 9 May 2015 118,339 miles

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

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

Fail 2 May 2015 118,090 miles

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

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

Trailer electrical socket damaged so that lead cannot be securely connected (1.9.3b)

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

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

Pass 6 May 2014 107,805 miles

centre front seatbelt slightly freyed

dampness around fuel filter

n/s/f seatbelt stalk damaged,still servicable

n/s/r s/absorber bushes slightly worn

Pass 11 Apr 2013 97,541 miles

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

Oil leak

Pass 9 May 2012 88,883 miles
Fail 8 May 2012 88,866 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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 20 Apr 2011 77,376 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2010 66,004 miles
Pass 8 May 2009 56,687 miles
Pass 16 Apr 2008 45,687 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2007 34,715 miles
Pass 10 May 2006 23,886 miles
Pass 18 Jan 2006 22,426 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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YS52 VWM is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.3%.

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 YS52 VWM, 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 YS52 VWM?

You can check the full history of YS52 VWM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was YS52 VWM registered?

YS52 VWM is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 7 January 2003.

Is YS52 VWM safe to buy?

The MOT history for YS52 VWM shows 30 tests with a 73.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YS52 VWM 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 YS52 VWM. 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.