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AE53 HJO

2003 Volkswagen Beetle

Silver Petrol 1984cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires22 Oct 2026
Tests32 (20 pass, 12 fail)
Pass rate62.5%

Mileage

41,984 mi
Last recorded41,984 miles
Recorded on15 Oct 2025
Typical for 2003 Volkswagen Beetle73,703 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Volkswagen
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationAE53 HJO
MakeVolkswagen
ModelBeetle
Year2003
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,984cc

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 12 fail
Pass 15 Oct 2025 41,984 miles

Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing tyres cracking and worn on inner edges (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Macpherson strut corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Fail 14 Oct 2025 41,977 miles

Offside Front Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing tyres cracking and worn on inner edges (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Macpherson strut corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 23 Oct 2024 41,165 miles
Fail 15 Oct 2024 41,163 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim unable to be tested (4.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Other passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle internal and external (6.2.3 (a))

Pass 6 Oct 2023 39,757 miles

Offside Front Inner Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 2 Oct 2023 39,757 miles

Nearside Front Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Nearside Front Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Inner Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 3 Oct 2022 38,643 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Oct 2021 37,842 miles

near side front brake disc corroded

Pass 5 Oct 2020 37,051 miles
Fail 5 Oct 2020 37,051 miles

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 7 Oct 2019 50,324 miles

Central Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 15 Oct 2018 35,422 miles
Pass 10 Oct 2017 34,552 miles
Pass 5 Oct 2016 33,566 miles
Fail 5 Oct 2016 33,566 miles

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 205/55r16- 91w (4.1.D.1a)

Pass 18 Sep 2015 32,344 miles
Fail 16 Sep 2015 32,340 miles

Centre Rear Stop lamp remains on when the brakes are released (1.2.1e)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 15 Oct 2014 31,267 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2013 30,069 miles

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

tyres perishing

Fail 16 Oct 2013 30,067 miles

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

tyres perishing

Pass 15 Oct 2012 28,465 miles

Nail in offside rear tyre

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

Pass 6 Oct 2011 23,424 miles
Fail 6 Oct 2011 23,424 miles

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Fail 4 Oct 2011 23,339 miles

Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 12 Oct 2010 21,402 miles

Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Fail 12 Oct 2010 21,402 miles

Front registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Nearside Front Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 29 Sep 2009 19,644 miles
Fail 28 Sep 2009 19,622 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Front registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

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

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

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

Rear registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Pass 8 Oct 2008 17,604 miles

Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 8 Oct 2007 15,673 miles
Fail 8 Oct 2007 15,674 miles

Front registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Rear registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 10 Oct 2006 14,607 miles

How Reliable is the Volkswagen Beetle?

Based on 1,719,137 MOT tests across 112,454 vehicles.

71.7%
Pass Rate
4,798
Miles/Year
56
Year Lifespan
112,454
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 44,561
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 33,096
Stop lamp not working 28,079
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 27,964
Headlamp not working on dipped beam 23,197
Full Volkswagen Beetle reliability report

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AE53 HJO is a 2003 Volkswagen Beetle in Silver with a 1,984cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 32 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.5%.

Across all 2003 Volkswagen Beetle models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.9% with a typical mileage of 73,703 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Volkswagen Beetle fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 44,561 recorded failures. If you're considering buying AE53 HJO, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Volkswagen Beetle typically stays on UK roads for around 56 years. At 23 years old, this Volkswagen Beetle is still in the earlier part of its expected life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of AE53 HJO?

You can check the full history of AE53 HJO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was AE53 HJO registered?

AE53 HJO is a 2003 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 16 September 2003.

Is AE53 HJO safe to buy?

The MOT history for AE53 HJO shows 32 tests with a 62.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does AE53 HJO 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 AE53 HJO. 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.