CarVerify

Free Car Check

YY53 LDV

2003 Land Rover Defender

Silver Diesel 2492cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Nov 2026
Tests26 (20 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76.9%

Mileage

78,634 mi
Last recorded78,634 miles
Recorded on4 Nov 2025
Typical for 2003 Land Rover Defender86,068 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationYY53 LDV
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourSilver
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,492cc

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 6 fail
Pass 4 Nov 2025 78,634 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases Downpipe (6.1.2 (a))

Front Tyre wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch Both (5.2.3 (f))

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

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play Both (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Rear Suspension arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded but its strength is not seriously reduced A-frame brackets (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both front suspension arm bushes to axel (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security footwells both sides (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Fail 3 Nov 2025 78,634 miles

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases Downpipe (6.1.2 (a))

Front Tyre wheel/tyre protruding beyond wheel arch Both (5.2.3 (f))

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

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play Both (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Rear Suspension arm attachment bracket/mounting corroded but its strength is not seriously reduced A-frame brackets (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both front suspension arm bushes to axel (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security footwells both sides (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 19 Dec 2024 73,302 miles
Pass 22 Dec 2023 72,030 miles

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

Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed both (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

fronh hubs leaking?

tow bar removed at time of test,

Fail 15 Dec 2023 71,939 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Exhaust emissions test not completed because smoke levels are significantly in excess of the specified limit values (8.2.2.2 (f))

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

Fuel system component leaking (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Vehicle structure excessively corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

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

Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed both (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

fronh hubs leaking?

Pass 5 Jan 2023 66,530 miles

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

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

Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed both (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

o/s/f brake slightly binding, front hubs leaking?

Fail 21 Dec 2022 66,512 miles

Driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. (6.2.5 (b) (i))

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Service brake is causing the vehicle to swerve to the nearside (1.2.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed both (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

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

Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

o/s/f brake slightly binding, front hubs leaking?

Pass 15 Dec 2021 61,776 miles

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

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

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

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

Vehicle structure slightly corroded within 30cm of towbar mounting (6.1.6 (i) (i))

numbe plate light source 50% illuminating

Pass 14 Dec 2020 59,051 miles

slight brake pull to nearside.

Fail 8 Dec 2020 59,030 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) worn down to wear indicator (1.1.13 (a) (i))

slight brake pull to nearside.

Pass 10 Dec 2019 55,447 miles

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

slight brake pull to nearside.

Fail 10 Dec 2019 55,447 miles

Fuel system component leaking filter housing. (6.1.3 (b) (i))

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

slight brake pull to nearside.

Pass 12 Dec 2018 50,087 miles
Pass 29 Nov 2017 488,170 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2016 47,462 miles
Pass 28 Sep 2015 44,670 miles
Pass 16 Sep 2014 43,791 miles

high level stop lamp inopertive

Pass 24 Sep 2013 43,727 miles
Pass 10 Sep 2012 43,137 miles

centre stop lamp not working

Pass 29 Sep 2011 42,405 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2010 40,596 miles

centre stop lamp not working

rear view mirror missing

Pass 23 Sep 2009 39,162 miles
Fail 22 Sep 2009 39,158 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Rear Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

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

Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

nearside front swivel hud has excessive graese

Pass 25 Sep 2008 36,597 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2007 27,156 miles
Pass 21 Oct 2006 18,217 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

YY53 LDV is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Silver with a 2,492cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.9%.

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 YY53 LDV, 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 YY53 LDV?

You can check the full history of YY53 LDV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was YY53 LDV registered?

YY53 LDV is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 30 October 2003.

Is YY53 LDV safe to buy?

The MOT history for YY53 LDV shows 26 tests with a 76.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does YY53 LDV 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 YY53 LDV. 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.