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53 LA

2004 Volkswagen Beetle

Silver Petrol 1984cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Jan 2027
Tests28 (19 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate67.9%

Mileage

85,428 mi
Last recorded85,428 miles
Recorded on2 Jan 2026
Typical for 2004 Volkswagen Beetle71,947 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

Registration53 LA
MakeVolkswagen
ModelBeetle
Year2004
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

19 pass 9 fail
Pass 2 Jan 2026 85,428 miles
Pass 24 Dec 2024 83,037 miles

Nearside Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Outer Sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 18 Dec 2023 79,123 miles

Nearside Outer Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 18 Dec 2023 79,123 miles

Nearside Outer Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Pass 15 Dec 2022 75,897 miles
Fail 15 Dec 2022 75,897 miles

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

Pass 16 Dec 2021 72,177 miles

Nearside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 16 Dec 2021 72,177 miles

Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (1.6 (b))

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

Nearside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Inner Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 15 Dec 2020 69,793 miles

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

Fail 15 Dec 2020 69,793 miles

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

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

Fail 23 Nov 2020 69,780 miles

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

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))

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))

Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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

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

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

Pass 25 Nov 2019 67,928 miles

Advise offside rear tyre perishing

Nearside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

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

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 25 Nov 2019 67,928 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Advise offside rear tyre perishing

Nearside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

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

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output (4.1.4 (b))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 8 Nov 2018 64,713 miles
Fail 8 Nov 2018 64,711 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.1.2 (d))

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 9 Nov 2017 60,954 miles
Pass 10 Nov 2016 57,003 miles
Fail 10 Nov 2016 57,003 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 12 Nov 2015 52,405 miles

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

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

Pass 5 Sep 2014 48,254 miles

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

Pass 12 Jun 2013 42,180 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator damaged, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.4.A.2e)

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Fail 12 Jun 2013 42,180 miles

Offside Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Nearside Front Direction indicator damaged, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.4.A.2e)

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Nail in offside rear tyre

Pass 5 Apr 2012 33,782 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Pass 4 Apr 2011 30,052 miles
Pass 12 Jan 2011 29,607 miles
Pass 18 Jan 2010 26,846 miles
Pass 22 Jan 2009 23,933 miles
Pass 25 Jan 2008 18,350 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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53 LA is a 2004 Volkswagen Beetle in Silver with a 1,984cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 67.9%.

Across all 2004 Volkswagen Beetle models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.8% with a typical mileage of 71,947 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 53 LA, 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 22 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 53 LA?

You can check the full history of 53 LA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 53 LA registered?

53 LA is a 2004 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 1 September 2004.

Is 53 LA safe to buy?

The MOT history for 53 LA shows 28 tests with a 67.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 53 LA 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 53 LA. 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.