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G38 MEP

1997 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires9 Jul 2026
Tests18 (12 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

42,047 mi
Last recorded42,047 miles
Recorded on10 Jul 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationG38 MEP
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourRed
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

12 pass 6 fail
Pass 10 Jul 2025 42,047 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Wheelarch to outersill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

Fail 30 Jun 2025 42,044 miles

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

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Wheelarch to outersill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Pass 4 May 2024 41,429 miles
Fail 4 May 2024 41,429 miles

Nearside Front Lower Undertray likely to become detached (6.2.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 10 Jan 2023 40,427 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 31 Dec 2021 38,403 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 13 Oct 2020 33,512 miles
Fail 29 Sep 2020 33,508 miles

Nearside Front Upper Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Upper Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Rear fog lamp switch not operating in accordance with the requirements tell tail (4.5.3 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Feb 2019 31,770 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 24 Mar 2018 29,791 miles

Nearside Front Outer Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Outer Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Pass 5 Jan 2016 28,206 miles

Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.2.C.1c)

Front Upper Front suspension ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.4.G.2)

front brakes slightly uneven

Fail 4 Jan 2016 28,175 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

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

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.2.C.1c)

Front Upper Front suspension ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.4.G.2)

front brakes slightly uneven

Pass 29 Dec 2014 25,136 miles

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

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

Fail 27 Oct 2014 25,082 miles

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

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

Pass 14 Jun 2013 22,102 miles

corrosion both front lower arms

ors tyre cut in tread

osf tyre cracking

osf tyre heavy cracking

slight corrosion osr sill end

Pass 13 Jul 2012 21,999 miles
Fail 12 Jul 2012 21,999 miles

Front registration plate missing (6.3.1a)

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

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

Pass 22 Aug 2006 20,507 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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G38 MEP is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1997 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 70.7% with a typical mileage of 85,711 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 G38 MEP, 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 29 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 G38 MEP?

You can check the full history of G38 MEP by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G38 MEP registered?

G38 MEP is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 10 October 1997.

Is G38 MEP safe to buy?

The MOT history for G38 MEP shows 18 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 G38 MEP 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 G38 MEP. 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.