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YY53 WGC

2003 Land Rover Defender

Green Diesel 2495cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Dec 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

131,859 mi
Last recorded131,859 miles
Recorded on19 Nov 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

RegistrationYY53 WGC
MakeLand Rover
ModelDefender
Year2003
ColourGreen
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 19 Nov 2025 131,859 miles
Pass 17 Dec 2024 130,289 miles

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Fail 16 Dec 2024 130,287 miles

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Steering box has seepage (2.1.1 (e) (i))

Pass 15 Dec 2023 128,668 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 16 Dec 2022 124,898 miles

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

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

Offside Front Tyre wearing inner edge

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

Pass 22 Nov 2021 118,319 miles

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

Pass 18 Dec 2020 113,842 miles

Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule All (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material o/s and n/s (1.1.11 (c))

Front Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened o/s and n/s (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge wearing on inner edge and perishing (5.2.3 (e))

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

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule All (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Rear Coil spring corroded o/s and n/s (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Oil leak, but not excessive differential front seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Fail 7 Dec 2020 113,842 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt ball joint on steering box (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule All (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material o/s and n/s (1.1.11 (c))

Front Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened o/s and n/s (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge wearing on inner edge and perishing (5.2.3 (e))

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

Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule All (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Rear Coil spring corroded o/s and n/s (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Oil leak, but not excessive differential front seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Prop shaft joint worn, but not excessively (6.1.7 (c) (i))

coolant level low

Pass 28 May 2019 103,818 miles

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

Fail 28 May 2019 103,818 miles

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps (4.7.2 (a))

Pass 17 May 2018 97,197 miles

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Nearside Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Upper Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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

Offside Seat belt damaged but not affecting the operation of the belt (5.2.2a)

Pass 5 May 2017 90,670 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2016 85,353 miles
Pass 20 Apr 2015 80,655 miles

Offside Front Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

Pass 6 May 2014 77,347 miles
Fail 6 May 2014 77,347 miles

Offside Drag link end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Steering pivot point has excessive play (2.2.B.1g)

Pass 24 Apr 2013 73,829 miles

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

Offside Front Steering pivot point has slight play (2.2.B.1g)

Pass 2 May 2012 70,470 miles
Fail 2 May 2012 70,470 miles

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Rear Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Pass 12 Apr 2011 664,433 miles
Pass 7 May 2010 62,109 miles
Fail 7 May 2010 62,105 miles

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

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

Pass 9 Dec 2008 51,999 miles
Pass 4 Dec 2007 42,363 miles
Pass 9 Nov 2006 32,089 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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YY53 WGC is a 2003 Land Rover Defender in Green 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 YY53 WGC, 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 WGC?

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

What year was YY53 WGC registered?

YY53 WGC is a 2003 Land Rover Defender, first registered on 30 December 2003.

Is YY53 WGC safe to buy?

The MOT history for YY53 WGC 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 YY53 WGC 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 WGC. 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.