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81 F

1996 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Oct 2026
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

72,887 mi
Last recorded72,887 miles
Recorded on21 Oct 2025
Typical for 1996 Mazda MX-586,097 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

Registration81 F
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1996
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,839cc

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 8 fail
Pass 21 Oct 2025 72,887 miles
Pass 9 Oct 2024 72,465 miles
Pass 19 Oct 2023 71,323 miles
Fail 13 Oct 2023 71,291 miles

Nearside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Service brake has no recorded effort at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 5 Oct 2022 69,835 miles

Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Handbrake only just passed

Fail 5 Oct 2022 69,835 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Handbrake only just passed

Pass 30 Sep 2021 69,322 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2020 68,615 miles

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 9 Jul 2019 68,450 miles

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

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

Surface corrosion to all suspension components

Fail 26 Jun 2019 68,379 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Surface corrosion to all suspension components

Pass 9 Jun 2018 68,142 miles
Fail 8 Jun 2018 68,126 miles

Offside Obligatory mirror missing (3.3 (a))

Pass 21 Jun 2017 68,007 miles

near side front tyre poor condition

Pass 23 Jun 2016 67,859 miles
Fail 22 Jun 2016 67,850 miles

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 27 May 2014 67,762 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

front and rear tyres perishing

Pass 29 May 2013 67,559 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

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

rear tyres inner sidewalls splitting

Fail 24 May 2013 67,543 miles

Nearside Front coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

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

rear tyres inner sidewalls splitting

Pass 28 May 2012 67,248 miles

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

clutch pedal rubber in poor condition

emissions limits met but readings very erratic

Fail 17 May 2012 67,170 miles

Emissions not tested (7.0)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

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

clutch pedal rubber in poor condition

Pass 6 May 2011 66,741 miles

all tyres starting to perish & inner sidewalls splitting

Pass 27 May 2010 65,597 miles

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

offside wiper blade slightly deteriorated

Pass 20 May 2009 65,195 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

near side body sill has corrison

offside body sill has corrison

Pass 13 May 2008 65,121 miles

Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 22 May 2007 64,802 miles

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

Pass 17 May 2006 63,980 miles
Fail 12 May 2006 63,915 miles

Offside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

How Reliable is the Mazda MX-5?

Based on 2,502,760 MOT tests across 160,823 vehicles.

76.5%
Pass Rate
2,964
Miles/Year
36
Year Lifespan
160,823
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded 44,475
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 41,962
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 35,980
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 33,281
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 32,722
Full Mazda MX-5 reliability report

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81 F is a 1996 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.4%.

Across all 1996 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.8% with a typical mileage of 86,097 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Mazda MX-5 fails its MOT is seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded, accounting for 44,475 recorded failures. If you're considering buying 81 F, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Mazda MX-5 typically stays on UK roads for around 36 years. At 30 years old, this Mazda MX-5 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of 81 F?

You can check the full history of 81 F by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was 81 F registered?

81 F is a 1996 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 1 August 1996.

Is 81 F safe to buy?

The MOT history for 81 F shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does 81 F 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 81 F. 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.