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H353 VSH

1998 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 May 2027
Tests13 (8 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate61.5%

Mileage

121,742 mi
Last recorded121,742 miles
Recorded on15 Apr 2026
Typical for 1998 Mazda MX-586,993 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationH353 VSH
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1998
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

8 pass 5 fail
Pass 15 Apr 2026 121,742 miles

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Outer & Inner (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 1 May 2025 120,752 miles
Pass 25 Apr 2024 118,932 miles
Pass 3 May 2023 118,125 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

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

Fail 24 Apr 2023 118,107 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

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

Offside Rear Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

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

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

Pass 25 Jun 2019 115,791 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 13 Jun 2019 115,780 miles

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

Nearside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 5 Jun 2018 113,344 miles

Nearside Rear Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing sidewall (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Rear tyre wearing on inner edge

Fail 28 May 2018 113,333 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Headlamp aim so that beam "kick up" is not visible on the screen (4.1.2 (a))

Rear fog lamp light intensity significantly reduced (4.5.4 (a))

Rear fog lamp obviously incorrectly positioned (4.5.4 (a))

Stop lamp(s) not working boot lamp (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Outer Tyre has ply or cords damaged sidewall cracked badly (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing sidewall (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Rear tyre wearing on inner edge

Fail 19 Aug 2016 113,197 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

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

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded sill at rear (5.2.6)

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

Rear fog lamp tell tale missing (1.3.1b)

Both rear tyres cracking around sidewall

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

Centre Rear high level stop lamp has been converted to act as rear fog lamp

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

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

Nearside Front tyre cracking around sidewall

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

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

Offside Front wiper smearing screen

Tyre worn close to the legal limit Both rear (4.1.E.1)

Pass 27 Aug 2015 109,654 miles

brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened all 4 (3.5.1i)

Fail 21 Aug 2015 109,654 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened all 4 (3.5.1i)

coil spring corroded both rear (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 20 Apr 2006 108,352 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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H353 VSH is a 1998 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 13 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.5%.

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 H353 VSH, 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 H353 VSH?

You can check the full history of H353 VSH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H353 VSH registered?

H353 VSH is a 1998 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 15 April 1998.

Is H353 VSH safe to buy?

The MOT history for H353 VSH shows 13 tests with a 61.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H353 VSH 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 H353 VSH. 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.