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LJ53 CXU

2003 Smart (mcc) City Coupe

Black Petrol 698cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 Mar 2027
Tests27 (17 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate63%

Mileage

36,796 mi
Last recorded36,796 miles
Recorded on3 Mar 2026
Typical for 2003 Smart (mcc) City Coupe47,556 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Smart (mcc)
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationLJ53 CXU
MakeSmart (mcc)
ModelCity Coupe
Year2003
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine698cc

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

17 pass 10 fail
Pass 3 Mar 2026 36,796 miles
Pass 4 Mar 2025 34,692 miles
Fail 26 Feb 2025 34,692 miles

Central Rear Engine mounting damaged or deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (6.1.8 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 145/65/15 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 22 Feb 2024 34,036 miles
Pass 8 Mar 2023 33,268 miles

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 7 Mar 2023 33,268 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device ineffective (6.1.3 (b) (i))

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

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 12 Mar 2022 32,775 miles

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 4 Mar 2022 32,736 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 19 Mar 2021 32,320 miles
Fail 5 Mar 2021 32,310 miles

Hazard warning switch inoperative (4.4.2 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Pass 4 Mar 2020 31,854 miles

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

Fail 3 Mar 2020 31,853 miles

Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

Pass 4 Mar 2019 31,039 miles

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

Nearside Front Outer Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

Pass 6 Mar 2018 30,258 miles

Nearside Front tyre cracking & perishing.

Nearside Rear tyre cracking & perishing.

Pass 7 Mar 2017 29,267 miles
Pass 8 Mar 2016 28,047 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2015 26,870 miles
Pass 21 Feb 2014 25,951 miles
Fail 18 Feb 2014 25,949 miles

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

rear parking (secondary) brakes imbalanced (3.7.B.6b)

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

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 11 Mar 2013 23,848 miles
Pass 23 Feb 2012 21,521 miles

offside front tyre starting to crack and perish

Fail 22 Feb 2012 21,521 miles

Offside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

offside front tyre starting to crack and perish

Pass 11 Mar 2011 18,818 miles
Fail 9 Mar 2011 18,818 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

Nearside Front Side repeater missing (1.4.A.2b)

Offside Front Side repeater missing (1.4.A.2b)

Offside Obligatory mirror missing (8.1.1)

Rear Registration plate lamp not fitted (1.1.C.1b)

Fail 8 Dec 2010 18,811 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)

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

Nearside Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe kinked (3.6.B.2b)

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp not fitted (1.1.C.1b)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Nearside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

offside seatbelt twisted

Fail 2 Mar 2007 25,740 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 2 Mar 2007 25,740 miles

How Reliable is the Smart (mcc) City Coupe?

Based on 282,294 MOT tests across 17,380 vehicles.

71.5%
Pass Rate
3,273
Miles/Year
27
Year Lifespan
17,380
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Stop lamp not working 9,153
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 8,215
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 5,697
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 5,268
Headlamp aim too low 5,252
Full Smart (mcc) City Coupe reliability report

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LJ53 CXU is a 2003 Smart (mcc) City Coupe in Black with a 698cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 63%.

Across all 2003 Smart (mcc) City Coupe models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.9% with a typical mileage of 47,556 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 Coupe fails its MOT is stop lamp not working, accounting for 9,153 recorded failures. If you're considering buying LJ53 CXU, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Smart (mcc) City Coupe typically stays on UK roads for around 27 years. At 23 years old, this Smart (mcc) City Coupe is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of LJ53 CXU?

You can check the full history of LJ53 CXU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was LJ53 CXU registered?

LJ53 CXU is a 2003 Smart (mcc) City Coupe, first registered on 3 October 2003.

Is LJ53 CXU safe to buy?

The MOT history for LJ53 CXU shows 27 tests with a 63% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does LJ53 CXU 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 LJ53 CXU. 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.