CarVerify

Free Car Check

H171 JLC

1998 Mazda MX-5

Blue Petrol 1600cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires26 Mar 2027
Tests26 (19 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate73.1%

Mileage

246,537 mi
Last recorded246,537 miles
Recorded on27 Mar 2026
Typical for 1998 Mazda MX-586,993 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Mazda
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationH171 JLC
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1998
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,600cc

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 7 fail
Pass 27 Mar 2026 246,537 miles
Pass 25 Mar 2025 245,291 miles

Nearside Rear Upper Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 25 Mar 2025 245,291 miles

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

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Upper Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 14 Mar 2024 243,987 miles
Pass 17 Mar 2023 241,379 miles

Rear Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. handbrake showing low effort at rear wheels (1.4.2 (a) (i))

litttle reserve travel in handbrake

oil leak

Fail 13 Mar 2023 241,378 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp not working front n/s side light out (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Rear Registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps rear number plate lights not working (4.7.2 (a))

Rear Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. handbrake showing low effort at rear wheels (1.4.2 (a) (i))

litttle reserve travel in handbrake

oil leak

Pass 5 Feb 2022 239,871 miles
Pass 3 Apr 2021 238,150 miles
Pass 17 Nov 2018 237,313 miles
Pass 6 Dec 2017 235,571 miles

Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both n/s o/s (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded [under wheel arch] (3.6.B.2c)

Rear Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

showing signs of surface rust under vehicle

Fail 1 Dec 2017 235,569 miles

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp missing (1.3.2a)

Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both n/s o/s (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded [under wheel arch] (3.6.B.2c)

Rear Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

showing signs of surface rust under vehicle

Pass 16 Dec 2016 231,495 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin both n/s o/s (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front brake binding

Rear Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

under body showing signs of surface rust

Pass 2 Sep 2015 228,839 miles

oil leak

Fail 20 Aug 2015 228,839 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush D-bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

oil leak

Pass 18 Sep 2014 224,455 miles

Oil leak

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 23 Sep 2013 218,807 miles

Both track rod end rubbers are perished,

Nearside Front Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Oil leak

both front lower ball joint rubbers perished.

o/s/f upper ball joint rubber has been repaired with silicon.

Pass 30 Aug 2012 210,450 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

all front ball joint gaiters have been repaired

Pass 7 Sep 2011 204,027 miles
Fail 7 Sep 2011 204,027 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 15 Sep 2010 184,957 miles
Fail 9 Sep 2009 167,303 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 9 Sep 2009 167,303 miles
Pass 11 Sep 2008 149,721 miles
Fail 10 Sep 2008 149,721 miles

Offside Front Obligatory mirror missing (8.1.1)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

centre rear stop light not working

Pass 6 Sep 2007 141,570 miles

Oil leak

Pass 11 Sep 2006 130,100 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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

H171 JLC is a 1998 Mazda MX-5 in Blue with a 1,600cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.1%.

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 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 H171 JLC, 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 H171 JLC?

You can check the full history of H171 JLC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H171 JLC registered?

H171 JLC is a 1998 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 6 October 1998.

Is H171 JLC safe to buy?

The MOT history for H171 JLC shows 26 tests with a 73.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H171 JLC 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 H171 JLC. 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.