CarVerify

Free Car Check

YT53 ZDX

2003 Land Rover Defender

Red Diesel 2495cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Dec 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

211,629 mi
Last recorded211,629 miles
Recorded on17 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

RegistrationYT53 ZDX
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourRed
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

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 17 Dec 2025 211,629 miles

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Rear bumper mount/Crossmember (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Fail 17 Dec 2025 211,629 miles

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Rear bumper mount/Crossmember (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 13 Dec 2024 208,520 miles

general corrosion to underside

general perishing to suspension bushes front and rear

Pass 4 Oct 2023 204,568 miles

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

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

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

Pass 4 Oct 2022 195,762 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases centre section of exhaust system (6.1.2 (a))

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

Rear Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement front mounting bushes of offside and nearside rear trailing arms split (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 21 Sep 2021 182,062 miles
Pass 31 Jan 2020 178,331 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Brake lining(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Fail 28 Jan 2020 178,214 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Oil leaking excessively from engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

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

Nearside Rear Brake lining(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 16 Jan 2019 160,951 miles

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

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both front tyres at 3mm (5.2.3 (e))

Front slight oil weep front prop

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

Nearside Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement arm from rear axle bush perishing starting to split (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 26 Jan 2018 147,739 miles
Fail 16 Jan 2018 147,488 miles

Ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt steering box drop arm ball joint (2.2.C.1c)

Emissions not tested due to above defect (7.3.A.1)

Fuel system component leaking fuel pressure regulator on side of cylinder head (7.2.3)

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

Pass 24 Jan 2017 135,753 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 28 Jan 2016 127,656 miles
Pass 2 Feb 2015 119,669 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

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

rear hardt spicer joint of rear propshaft has slight play between spiders and bearing cups would suggest replacement soon

Pass 18 Jan 2014 106,395 miles

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

Pass 26 Jan 2013 95,371 miles

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

Pass 6 Jan 2012 87,981 miles

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

Fail 3 Jan 2012 87,932 miles

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

advise rear discs russted

Pass 17 Jan 2011 74,071 miles

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Fail 17 Jan 2011 74,071 miles

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 22 Jan 2010 57,352 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Fail 21 Jan 2010 57,352 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Pass 29 Jan 2009 54,791 miles

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

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

Pass 10 Jan 2008 49,116 miles

Brake vacuum pipe slightly chafed (3.6.C.1b)

Pass 29 Sep 2006 42,917 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

YT53 ZDX is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Red with a 2,495cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76%.

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 YT53 ZDX, 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 YT53 ZDX?

You can check the full history of YT53 ZDX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was YT53 ZDX registered?

YT53 ZDX is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 24 September 2003.

Is YT53 ZDX safe to buy?

The MOT history for YT53 ZDX shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YT53 ZDX 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 YT53 ZDX. 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.