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YS53 FVV

2003 Land Rover Defender

Blue Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires3 Apr 2026
Tests26 (18 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate69.2%

Mileage

148,883 mi
Last recorded148,883 miles
Recorded on4 Apr 2025
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

RegistrationYS53 FVV
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

18 pass 8 fail
Pass 4 Apr 2025 148,883 miles

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

Fail 4 Apr 2025 148,883 miles

Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

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

Pass 19 Feb 2024 148,637 miles

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

Fail 2 Dec 2023 148,621 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brake disc contaminated (1.1.14 (b))

Offside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting in two places chalked (6.1.6 (i) (i))

Power steering malfunctioning (2.1.5 (a))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Steering box leaking to the extent that oil is dripping (2.1.1 (e) (ii))

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

Pass 28 Oct 2022 148,236 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2021 144,740 miles

Front Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

Fail 1 Sep 2021 144,712 miles

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

Nearside Front Seat belt webbing significantly weakened cut/fray in seat belt (7.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Front Steering box leaking oil (2.1.1 (e) (i))

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

Pass 20 Aug 2020 139,416 miles
Pass 21 Aug 2019 137,180 miles
Pass 13 Sep 2018 136,474 miles

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component steering box (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 18 Jan 2018 133,454 miles
Pass 1 Dec 2015 129,953 miles

n/s front disc slightly pittedinner face

Fail 17 Nov 2015 129,918 miles

Ball joint has excessive play steering drop arm (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Stop lamp not working o/s n/s (1.2.1b)

n/s front disc slightly pittedinner face

Pass 18 Nov 2014 122,492 miles

Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

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

Pass 20 Nov 2013 110,237 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)

Fail 14 Nov 2013 110,227 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

Nearside Rear reflector missing (1.5.1a)

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped (3.6.B.1)

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

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 9 Nov 2012 98,420 miles

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

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

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

Pass 3 Nov 2011 85,418 miles

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

both rear brake discs are corroded on iner

Fail 29 Oct 2011 85,220 miles

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

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

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

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

Pass 5 Nov 2010 70,908 miles

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

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

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

Pass 5 Nov 2009 56,852 miles

n/s wiper deteriorated

Fail 5 Nov 2009 56,852 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

n/s wiper deteriorated

Fail 26 Oct 2009 56,841 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front position lamp(s) insecure (1.1.A.3a)

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

n/s wiper deteriorated

Pass 17 Oct 2008 47,489 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2007 380,379 miles
Pass 18 Oct 2006 28,498 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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YS53 FVV is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Blue with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69.2%.

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 YS53 FVV, 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 YS53 FVV?

You can check the full history of YS53 FVV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was YS53 FVV registered?

YS53 FVV is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 21 November 2003.

Is YS53 FVV safe to buy?

The MOT history for YS53 FVV shows 26 tests with a 69.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YS53 FVV 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 YS53 FVV. 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.