2003 Volkswagen Lt: MOT pass rate and reliability
65.4% of 2003 Volkswagen Lts pass the MOT first time, measured across 781 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 171,370 miles.
How the 2003 compares
- Against all Volkswagen Lts (60.6%, 6,838 tests): +4.8 points
- Against all 2003 cars (64.7%): +0.7 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Volkswagen Lt model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2003 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Volkswagen Lt:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 60.6% | 236 | 153,710 |
| 1999 | 60.6% | 282 | 161,942 |
| 2000 | 55.3% | 273 | 150,852 |
| 2001 | 56.7% | 367 | 151,429 |
| 2002 | 59.3% | 639 | 169,613 |
| 2003 | 65.4% | 781 | 171,370 |
| 2004 | 62% | 1,054 | 169,295 |
| 2005 | 59.7% | 1,182 | 166,836 |
| 2006 | 60% | 1,024 | 165,283 |
What this means if you are buying a 2003 Lt
The 2003 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 4.8 points more often than the Volkswagen Lt average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 23-year-old car fails on
A 2003 car is 23 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is very high mileage. Clutches, dual-mass flywheels and head gaskets have usually been through at least one repair by this point, so ask for evidence rather than assume the car is original everywhere. On a 2003 Volkswagen Lt the average at test was 171,370 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
2003 is the strongest year on record for this model at 65.4%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.
Nearby model years
- 2000 Volkswagen Lt - 55.3%
- 2001 Volkswagen Lt - 56.7%
- 2002 Volkswagen Lt - 59.3%
- 2004 Volkswagen Lt - 62%
- 2005 Volkswagen Lt - 59.7%
- 2006 Volkswagen Lt - 60%