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J17 MGC

1996 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1840cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Jun 2027
Tests25 (21 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate84%

Mileage

72,607 mi
Last recorded72,607 miles
Recorded on9 Jun 2026
Typical for 1996 Mazda MX-586,097 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationJ17 MGC
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1996
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,840cc

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

21 pass 4 fail
Pass 9 Jun 2026 72,607 miles

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive engine has an oil leak . (8.4.1 (a) (i))

all front and rear suspension components have a coating of corrosion .

Pass 17 Jun 2025 72,354 miles

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive engine oil leak slight . (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Lower underside and suspension components have a coating of corrosion .

Fail 17 Jun 2025 72,354 miles

Offside Front Horn not working horn not working . (7.7 (a))

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive engine oil leak slight . (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Lower underside and suspension components have a coating of corrosion .

Pass 10 Jun 2024 72,120 miles

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive slight engine oil leak . (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing tyre has slight damage to the outer sidewall .195/50r15. (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

all front and rear suspension components have a coating of corrosion .

Pass 6 Jun 2023 71,921 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive engine has an oil leak . (8.4.1 (a) (i))

front and rear subframes have corrosion .rear suspension arms and front suspension arms have corrosion .

Pass 14 Jun 2022 71,647 miles

Front Oil leak, but not excessive slight engine oil leak . (8.4.1 (a) (i))

front and rear suspension components have corrosion .

Pass 10 Jun 2021 71,082 miles

Front Oil leak, but not excessive engine has a slight oil leak (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material metal brake pipe to offside front flexible brake hose has corrosion (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material metal brake from flexible brake hose to nearside rear flexible brake hose has corrosion (1.1.11 (c))

front and rear suspension components have a coating of corrosion

Pass 9 Jun 2020 70,544 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material brake pipe from offside rear flexible brake hose union to nearside rear flexible brake hose union has corrosion (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 18 Jun 2019 69,961 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material metal brake pipe has corrosion where it joins the front flexible hose (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 11 Jun 2018 69,505 miles

parts of the suspension affected by surface corrosion

Pass 18 May 2017 69,169 miles

various parts of the suspension and underside affected by surface corrosion

Fail 16 May 2017 69,166 miles

Offside front brake application uneven slow (3.7.B.2)

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

all brake hose ferrules have surface corrosion

various parts of the suspension and underside affected by surface corrosion

Pass 6 Jun 2016 68,869 miles
Fail 6 Jun 2016 68,869 miles

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

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Pass 11 Jun 2015 68,447 miles
Pass 12 Jun 2014 68,070 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

slight damage to the outer sidewall on the n/s/f tyre no cords showing

Pass 14 Jun 2013 67,590 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

slight damage to the outer sidewall on the n/s/f tyre no cords showing

Pass 29 Sep 2012 67,173 miles

both outer sills slight corrosion

Pass 23 Sep 2011 66,197 miles

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

handbrake travel

Pass 21 Sep 2010 65,400 miles

nearside rear tyre on limit

Pass 28 Sep 2009 64,566 miles
Fail 24 Sep 2008 63,235 miles

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

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

Pass 24 Sep 2008 63,235 miles
Pass 27 Sep 2007 62,230 miles
Pass 27 Sep 2006 61,207 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

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

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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J17 MGC is a 1996 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,840cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 84%.

Across all 1996 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.8% with a typical mileage of 86,097 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 J17 MGC, 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 30 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 J17 MGC?

You can check the full history of J17 MGC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J17 MGC registered?

J17 MGC is a 1996 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 6 August 1996.

Is J17 MGC safe to buy?

The MOT history for J17 MGC shows 25 tests with a 84% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J17 MGC 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 J17 MGC. 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.