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BU53 VAH

2003 Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet

Black Petrol 599cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires18 Mar 2026
Tests25 (15 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

123,335 mi
Last recorded123,335 miles
Recorded on19 Mar 2025
Typical for 2003 Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet47,258 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Smart (mcc)
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBU53 VAH
MakeSmart (mcc)
ModelCity Cabriolet
Year2003
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine599cc

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

15 pass 10 fail
Pass 19 Mar 2025 123,335 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Pass 23 Feb 2024 120,776 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 7 Feb 2023 119,799 miles

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

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

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

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 13 Sep 2021 117,046 miles
Fail 13 Sep 2021 117,046 miles

Offside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 17 Sep 2020 116,077 miles
Pass 13 Aug 2019 109,410 miles
Fail 12 Aug 2019 109,410 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 12 Sep 2017 101,388 miles

Nearside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front Macpherson strut has slight movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 22 Aug 2016 98,662 miles

Centre Stop lamp has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.2.1b)

Nearside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Offside Front Macpherson strut has slight movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

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

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

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

Offside Side repeater slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)

Pass 25 Aug 2015 95,319 miles

Centre Stop lamp has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.2.1b)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

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

Offside Front Macpherson strut has slight movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

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

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

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 22 Aug 2015 95,319 miles

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a) DANGEROUS

Centre Stop lamp has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50% (1.2.1b)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

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

Offside Front Macpherson strut has slight movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

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

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

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 10 Jul 2014 89,941 miles
Fail 10 Jul 2014 89,941 miles

Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)

Pass 6 Dec 2012 78,617 miles

Front Steering damper slight oil seepage (2.2.C.1f)

Fail 6 Dec 2012 78,617 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Front Steering damper slight oil seepage (2.2.C.1f)

airbag warning illuminated

Pass 6 Dec 2011 69,242 miles
Fail 6 Dec 2011

Exhaust tailpipe not capable of allowing the emission probe to be inserted (7.3.D.1)

Fail 5 Oct 2011 69,037 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush (2.7.4)

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

O/S/R driveshaft relucter ring split causing ABS to cut in.

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 20 Jul 2010 60,928 miles
Fail 20 Jul 2010 61,928 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Pass 25 Jul 2008 49,479 miles
Fail 25 Jul 2008 49,465 miles

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

Pass 18 Jul 2007 43,904 miles
Fail 18 Jul 2007 33,961 miles

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Rear Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

How Reliable is the Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet?

Based on 41,914 MOT tests across 2,495 vehicles.

72.0%
Pass Rate
3,241
Miles/Year
26
Year Lifespan
2,495
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Stop lamp not working 1,262
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1,250
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 770
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 746
Headlamp aim too low 706
Full Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet reliability report

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BU53 VAH is a 2003 Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet in Black with a 599cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

Across all 2003 Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.7% with a typical mileage of 47,258 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 Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet fails its MOT is stop lamp not working, accounting for 1,262 recorded failures. If you're considering buying BU53 VAH, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet typically stays on UK roads for around 26 years. At 23 years old, this Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of BU53 VAH?

You can check the full history of BU53 VAH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BU53 VAH registered?

BU53 VAH is a 2003 Smart (mcc) City Cabriolet, first registered on 10 October 2003.

Is BU53 VAH safe to buy?

The MOT history for BU53 VAH shows 25 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BU53 VAH 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 BU53 VAH. 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.