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H873 NJM

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Oct 2026
Tests22 (16 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate72.7%

Mileage

145,279 mi
Last recorded145,279 miles
Recorded on7 Oct 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationH873 NJM
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
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

16 pass 6 fail
Pass 7 Oct 2025 145,279 miles
Pass 2 Oct 2024 143,315 miles

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective split at end (3.4 (b) (i))

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

Fail 14 Aug 2023 143,301 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits Reading at 0.7%. Maximum allowed is 0.3%. (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

Vehicle has been undersealed

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

Pass 1 Aug 2022 143,056 miles

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

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

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both sides - upper and lower (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 28 Jul 2022 143,055 miles

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Front of rear wheel arch - excessively corroded (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Both sides - upper and lower (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Aug 2021 142,736 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both upper and lower bushes cracking and perishing (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both upper and lower bushes cracking and perishing (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Pass 7 Aug 2020 142,461 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive chassis near lower arm mounting (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Pass 16 Aug 2019 141,344 miles

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Pass 10 Sep 2018 139,567 miles
Fail 7 Sep 2018 139,565 miles

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear outer sill has signs of corrosion

Pass 6 Sep 2017 138,610 miles

Nearside outer sill panel corroding at rear

Pass 12 Sep 2016 137,954 miles

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

Pass 21 Sep 2015 137,405 miles

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

Nearside outer sill panel rusting at rear

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

Offside and nearside front and rear tyre outer sidewalks cracking/perishing

Offside and nearside front brakes binding

Pass 8 Sep 2014 136,676 miles

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

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

all four tyre outer sidewalls cracking

front brakes slightly binding

Pass 19 Sep 2013 135,866 miles

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

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

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

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

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

all four brakes slightly binding

Fail 19 Sep 2013 135,864 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

all four brakes slightly binding

Pass 5 Sep 2012 135,268 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 15 Sep 2011 129,570 miles
Fail 27 Sep 2010 124,619 miles

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

Pass 27 Sep 2010 124,619 miles
Pass 24 Jun 2005 121,213 miles
Fail 23 Jun 2005 121,213 miles

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

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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H873 NJM is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.7%.

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 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 H873 NJM, 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 H873 NJM?

You can check the full history of H873 NJM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H873 NJM registered?

H873 NJM is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 1 November 1997.

Is H873 NJM safe to buy?

The MOT history for H873 NJM shows 22 tests with a 72.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H873 NJM 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 H873 NJM. 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.