Land Rover Defender 90 Td5 (2003)
2003 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5
CarHunch analysed 139 real MOT records for the 2003 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
The 2003 Defender 90 TD5 passes its MOT first time in only 46.6% of cases, well below the UK average of 80%—this is a significantly unreliable cohort that demands serious consideration before purchase. The good news is that dangerous defects are absent from this dataset, so failures tend toward the repairable rather than safety-critical.
These vehicles are averaging 136,000 miles, which is substantial for a 21-year-old machine, yet they're still accruing just over one failure per test on average with virtually no recorded advisories. The pattern suggests these are well-used working vehicles where major repairs are inevitable—before buying, budget for immediate professional inspection and factor in that you're statistically more likely than not to face failure on your first test.
What to check before buying a 2003 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5
Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.
- 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
- 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
- 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
- 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.
Before you buy a Land Rover Defender 90 Td5
MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.
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Pass Rate by Fuel Type
| Fuel type | Vehicles | Pass rate | Avg failures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel (98%) | 136 | 45.7% | 1.01 |
| Gas Bi-Fuel (1%) | 2 | 86.1% | 1 |
| Other (1%) | 1 | 100% | 0 |
Mileage Distribution
Most 2003 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5 vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.
Half of all 2003 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5 vehicles fall between 114,265 and 161,300 miles.
2003 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5 — Still on the Road
51 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025 — 74% of the peak remain.
Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2017–2025.
MOT History Averages
Found a specific Land Rover Defender 90 Td5?
Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.