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H159 JVM

1998 Mazda MX-5

Silver Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires3 Nov 2026
Tests30 (20 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

206,220 mi
Last recorded206,220 miles
Recorded on4 Nov 2025
Typical for 1998 Mazda MX-586,993 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

RegistrationH159 JVM
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1998
ColourSilver
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 10 fail
Pass 4 Nov 2025 206,220 miles

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

Pass 24 Oct 2024 205,776 miles
Pass 6 Sep 2023 204,837 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2022 203,935 miles

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

Fail 15 Sep 2022 203,935 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

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

Pass 17 Jun 2021 202,087 miles

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

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

Pass 24 Jun 2020 201,367 miles

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

Coolant leak ()

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

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

Fail 24 Jun 2020 201,367 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner wheel arch (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Coolant leak ()

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

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

Pass 13 Mar 2019 199,278 miles

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

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

Pass 13 Mar 2018 198,947 miles
Pass 20 Feb 2017 198,759 miles
Pass 8 Mar 2016 198,474 miles

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

Fail 7 Mar 2016 198,445 miles

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

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

Pass 4 Mar 2015 198,162 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

Fail 3 Mar 2015 198,134 miles

Offside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

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

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

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

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

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

Pass 10 Mar 2014 197,595 miles
Fail 10 Mar 2014 197,595 miles

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 7 Mar 2013 197,080 miles
Fail 6 Mar 2013 197,049 miles

Dipswitch operation does not extinguish all main beam headlamps leaving at least one pair of dipped beam headlamps (1.7.4b)

Headlamp aim not tested (1.8.A.1c)

Headlamp switch faulty (1.7.1)

Pass 23 Feb 2012 196,459 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2011 183,202 miles
Fail 9 Mar 2011 183,201 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Pass 27 Jan 2010 176,403 miles

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

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

Fail 26 Jan 2010 176,402 miles

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

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 13 Mar 2009 173,410 miles

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

Pass 18 Feb 2008 164,217 miles
Fail 20 Feb 2007 152,174 miles

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

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 20 Feb 2007 152,174 miles

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

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 23 Feb 2006 143,540 miles
Fail 21 Feb 2006 143,411 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.C3)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Rear Rear fog lamp missing (1.3.2a)

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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H159 JVM is a 1998 Mazda MX-5 in Silver with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 30 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 H159 JVM, 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 H159 JVM?

You can check the full history of H159 JVM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H159 JVM registered?

H159 JVM is a 1998 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 28 September 1998.

Is H159 JVM safe to buy?

The MOT history for H159 JVM shows 30 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 H159 JVM 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 H159 JVM. 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.