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FA03 OTW

2003 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires9 Oct 2026
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

121,971 mi
Last recorded121,971 miles
Recorded on10 Oct 2025
Typical for 2003 Mazda MX-560,251 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationFA03 OTW
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year2003
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,597cc

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

20 pass 8 fail
Pass 10 Oct 2025 121,971 miles

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively both discs (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

headlights poor

Fail 6 Aug 2025 121,959 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

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

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (5.2.3 (i))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded crossover pipe (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner and outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

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 Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both worn to limit (5.2.3 (e))

headlights poor

Pass 24 Jul 2024 114,941 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Outer sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 10 Jul 2023 112,868 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 18 Jul 2022 109,414 miles

Undertray not fully secure (8.1.1 (b) (i))

Fail 18 Jul 2022 109,412 miles

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

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

Headlamp lens slightly defective Both (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Undertray not fully secure (8.1.1 (b) (i))

Pass 22 Jul 2021 107,418 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2020 105,873 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting repair covered in underseal (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 30 Jul 2019 104,406 miles
Fail 30 Jul 2019 104,399 miles

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle by more than 50% Axle 1 (1.2.1 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 19 Jul 2018 101,368 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 18 Jul 2017 98,251 miles
Fail 18 Jul 2017 98,251 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Pass 4 Jul 2016 94,802 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

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

Fail 4 Jul 2016 94,802 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Pass 14 Jul 2015 91,673 miles

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

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

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

Pass 14 Jul 2014 88,067 miles

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

Pass 24 Jul 2013 85,799 miles
Fail 18 Jul 2013 85,799 miles

Nearside Rear coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 8 Jan 2013 84,970 miles
Pass 5 Jan 2012 82,943 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2012 82,943 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

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

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

Pass 21 Jul 2010 74,925 miles
Pass 8 Jul 2009 62,096 miles
Fail 8 Jul 2009 62,096 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Pass 25 Jul 2008 50,281 miles
Pass 25 Jul 2007 38,306 miles
Pass 14 Jul 2006 24,318 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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FA03 OTW is a 2003 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

Across all 2003 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 75.2% with a typical mileage of 60,251 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 FA03 OTW, 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 23 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 FA03 OTW?

You can check the full history of FA03 OTW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was FA03 OTW registered?

FA03 OTW is a 2003 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 21 July 2003.

Is FA03 OTW safe to buy?

The MOT history for FA03 OTW shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does FA03 OTW 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 FA03 OTW. 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.