2003 Land Rover Defender 130 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age

23 years

Current Age

62.2%

Latest Pass Rate

1,244

Total Tests (All Years)

96,341 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 14

This car: 62.2%

Average: 52.5%

✅ 9.7% above average (12051 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 2003 Land Rover Defender 130 as it ages.

6 yrs73.0%

→ ↓2.4%

7 yrs70.6%

→ ↓0.2%

8 yrs70.4%

→ ↓2.6%

9 yrs67.8%

→ ↓9.8%

10 yrs58.0%

→ ↑3.8%

11 yrs61.8%

→ ↓4.6%

12 yrs57.2%

→ ↑2.4%

13 yrs59.6%

→ ↑2.6%

14 yrs62.2%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
6 yrs	73.0%	174
7 yrs	70.6%	160
8 yrs	70.4%	162
9 yrs	67.8%	143
10 yrs	58.0%	150
11 yrs	61.8%	144
12 yrs	57.2%	138
13 yrs	59.6%	136
14 yrs	62.2%	37

Pass Rate Trend

How the 2003 Land Rover Defender 130 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (14 yrs)	62.2%	37
2016 (13 yrs)	59.6%	136
2015 (12 yrs)	57.2%	138
2014 (11 yrs)	61.8%	144
2013 (10 yrs)	58%	150
2012 (9 yrs)	67.8%	143
2011 (8 yrs)	70.4%	162
2010 (7 yrs)	70.6%	160
2009 (6 yrs)	73%	174

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

73.0%

Age (yrs) 6Tests 174Avg Mileage 70,587Top Failure Suspension — 15.5%

2010

70.6%

Age (yrs) 7Tests 160Avg Mileage 86,753Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 13.1%

2011

70.4%

Age (yrs) 8Tests 162Avg Mileage 89,475Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.3%

2012

67.8%

Age (yrs) 9Tests 143Avg Mileage 97,672Top Failure Suspension — 21.7%

2013High Fail Rate

58.0%

Age (yrs) 10Tests 150Avg Mileage 115,063Top Failure Suspension — 72.0%

2014High Fail Rate

61.8%

Age (yrs) 11Tests 144Avg Mileage 107,480Top Failure Suspension — 70.8%

2015High Fail Rate

57.2%

Age (yrs) 12Tests 138Avg Mileage 114,364Top Failure Suspension — 63.8%

2016High Fail Rate

59.6%

Age (yrs) 13Tests 136Avg Mileage 121,430Top Failure Suspension — 66.2%

2017High Fail Rate

62.2%

Age (yrs) 14Tests 37Avg Mileage 96,341Top Failure Brakes — 64.9%

MOT results for 2003 Land Rover Defender 130 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	6	73.0%	174	70,587	Suspension — 15.5%
2010	7	70.6%	160	86,753	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 13.1%
2011	8	70.4%	162	89,475	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.3%
2012	9	67.8%	143	97,672	Suspension — 21.7%
2013	10	58.0%	150	115,063	Suspension — 72.0%
2014	11	61.8%	144	107,480	Suspension — 70.8%
2015	12	57.2%	138	114,364	Suspension — 63.8%
2016	13	59.6%	136	121,430	Suspension — 66.2%
2017	14	62.2%	37	96,341	Brakes — 64.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 2003 Land Rover Defender 130, with age trends.

Suspension

43.9%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

33.4%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

32.3%

↑ Increases with age

Steering

15.2%

↑ Increases with age

Driver's View of the Road

11.7%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	10.9% (6 yrs)	64.9% (14 yrs)	+54.0%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	15.5% (6 yrs)	56.8% (14 yrs)	+41.3%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	14.4% (6 yrs)	29.7% (14 yrs)	+15.3%	🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road	6.9% (6 yrs)	8.1% (14 yrs)	+1.2%	⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Land Rover Defender 130 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Land Rover Defender 130 cars manufactured in 2003 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 1,244 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.