Lj

Suzuki · on record 1994 to 2025

The Suzuki Lj belongs to Suzuki's early lightweight 4 wheel drive family, the direct ancestor of the later SJ, Samurai and Jimny line. Owners generally chose the Lj for its blend of family practicality, image and the extra versatility associated with an SUV or crossover. The Lj can remain useful long after its first ownership cycle, so condition, parts support and continued demand for its utility increasingly decide which examples stay on the road.

GROWING

Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.

30 licensed vehicles
2025 census

6.6% of the peak fleet remains licensed PEAK PREDATES RECORDS

declared SORN

total surviving

peak 453 in 1994 · +2 vehicles a year, five year trend

Population history

Licensed and SORN vehicles at each census. The filters below apply to the family population, MOT and registration figures. They do not alter the generation history above.

Licensed SORN Latest census observation SOURCE DVLA VEH0120 / VEH0220

Inside the surviving fleet

AutoCensus parses every DVLA variant description, so the fleet can be read by fuel and specification rather than as one number.

First registrations by year

When surviving examples first joined the British fleet.

Recent UK first registrations

This family is no longer sold new. These figures are imports and historic vehicles joining the British register for the first time.

MOT reliability

DVSA test results for this family, 2009 to 2025.

Pass rate by year

Failure reason	Failures	Share of all tests
Deliberate modification which significantly reduces the original strength, excessive corrosion, severe distortion, a fracture or an inadequate repair of a load bearing member or its supporting structure or panelling within 30 cms of a seat belt ancho	6	7.2%
A sharp edge or projection, caused by corrosion or damage, which renders the vehicle dangerous to other road users, including pedestrians.	3	3.6%
A lamp missing, inoperative	3	3.6%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements	2	2.4%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led	2	2.4%
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view	2	2.4%
An obligatory headlamp inoperative, excessively damaged or deteriorated or has a product on the lens or light source so that the light output is well below that required to illuminate the road ahead	2	2.4%
Actuator leaking and braking performance not affected	2	2.4%

Counted across every recorded test, 2009 to 2025. Advisories are excluded.

Where the Lj remains

Based on MOT test locations, 2025. Test location is a proxy: a vehicle is counted where it was last tested, not where it is kept.

Postcode area	Vehicles tested	Pass rate
ME	1	100%
IP	1	100%
EX	1	100%

How this record was calculated

LATEST CENSUS2025

POPULATION SOURCEDVLA VEH0220 annual

HISTORY SOURCEDVLA VEH0120 GB · to 2013

MOT SOURCEDVSA results · to 2025

FAMILY DEFINITIONSUZUKI LJ

PROCESSED20 Sep 2026

Full methodology

Population history combines DVLA VEH0120 Q4 census observations through 2013 with the annual VEH0220 census from 2014 onward. Figures before 2014 cover Great Britain only. Historical VEH0120 is used only when its overlapping UK observations reconcile to the current canonical family definition. Vehicles are grouped into this family using the DVLA GenModel together with durable routing rules for known inconsistencies.

Variant figures are parsed from raw DVLA model descriptions and the original string is always retained. Configuration is only assigned where the model description explicitly identifies it; a blank configuration is not treated as a two door Wrangler. Blank transmission fields are shown as manual because DVLA records the field for automatic vehicles.

MOT figures count tests, not vehicles, and geographic figures count each vehicle at its most recent test location. The decline projection is a straight line fitted to the latest five years and is illustrative only.

Lj