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C3 VES

1998 Mazda MX-5

Gold Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Sep 2026
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

71,936 mi
Last recorded71,936 miles
Recorded on1 Sep 2025
Typical for 1998 Mazda MX-586,993 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationC3 VES
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1998
ColourGold
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,598cc

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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 1 Sep 2025 71,936 miles

Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened all (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened all (5.3.3 (b) (i))

undersides corroded

Fail 29 Aug 2025 71,933 miles

Offside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened all (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened all (5.3.3 (b) (i))

undersides corroded

Pass 30 Aug 2024 71,874 miles

underside of vehicle is corroded

Fail 28 Aug 2024 71,866 miles

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

underside of vehicle is corroded

Pass 7 Sep 2023 71,693 miles

underside of vehicle corroded

Fail 9 Aug 2023 71,681 miles

Nearside Inner Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Power steering malfunctioning (2.1.5 (a))

Nearside Front Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

underside of vehicle corroded

Pass 5 Jul 2022 71,571 miles

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

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

underneath of vehicle rusty

Pass 13 Jul 2021 71,489 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Outer Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced outer sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

underneath of vehicle very rusty

Fail 6 Jul 2021 71,489 miles

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering as marked (6.1.1 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Inner Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Outer Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced outer sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

underneath of vehicle very rusty

Pass 23 Sep 2019 71,488 miles

Nearside Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced outer sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

all underneath of vehicle rusty

Pass 21 Aug 2018 71,301 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material all pipes (1.1.11 (c))

underneath of vehicle rusty

Fail 11 Jul 2018 71,293 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.1.2 (d))

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

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases joint (6.1.2 (a))

all brake hose ferrules corroded

all suspension components springs etc very rusty/corroded

n/s outer sill corroded

n/s/f chassis corroded

rear inner sills corroded

underside rusty in places

Pass 4 Jul 2017 71,198 miles

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases corroded joint (7.1.2)

all suspension components and subframes very rusty/corroded

n/s/f chassis corroded inside wheel arch

outer sills corroded

tyres perished and under inflated

underside rusty

Pass 14 Apr 2016 71,044 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

all suspension components rusty/corroded

n/s/f chassis corroded

Fail 7 Apr 2016 71,025 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded end of sill (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded inner sill (2.4.A.3)

Offside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded outer sill (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

all suspension components rusty/corroded

n/s/f chassis corroded

Pass 4 Feb 2015 70,697 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

all suspension components rusty/corroded

n/s/f chassis rusty/corroded

o/s outer sill weak at rear

Pass 31 Jan 2014 72,385 miles

all suspension components rusty

n/s/f chassis corroded

o/s outer sill corroded and weak at rear

Pass 21 Dec 2012 70,151 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

all suspension components corroded

n/s/f chassis corroded

Fail 19 Dec 2012 70,143 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

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

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

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

all suspension components corroded

n/s/f chassis corroded

Pass 21 Dec 2011 69,891 miles

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

both outer sills corroded at rear

n/s/f chassis corroded

Pass 1 Dec 2010 69,423 miles

n/s/f chassis corroded inside wheel arch

outer sills weak at rear

Fail 26 Nov 2010 69,407 miles

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

n/s/f chassis corroded inside wheel arch

outer sills weak at rear

Pass 18 Nov 2009 68,673 miles
Pass 17 Nov 2008 66,315 miles

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 7 Nov 2007 63,808 miles
Fail 5 Nov 2007 63,783 miles

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

Pass 10 Nov 2006 61,146 miles

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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C3 VES is a 1998 Mazda MX-5 in Gold with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1998 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.9% with a typical mileage of 86,993 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 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 C3 VES, 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 28 years old, this Mazda MX-5 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of C3 VES?

You can check the full history of C3 VES by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was C3 VES registered?

C3 VES is a 1998 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 26 November 1998.

Is C3 VES safe to buy?

The MOT history for C3 VES shows 27 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does C3 VES 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 C3 VES. 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.