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J189 JOU

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires11 Jun 2027
Tests21 (17 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate81%

Mileage

140,655 mi
Last recorded140,655 miles
Recorded on12 Jun 2026
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

RegistrationJ189 JOU
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

17 pass 4 fail
Pass 12 Jun 2026 140,655 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 3 Jun 2025 137,719 miles
Pass 11 Jun 2024 134,216 miles
Pass 24 May 2023 129,437 miles

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

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

Stop lamp(s) non-obligatory stop lamp not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 19 Mar 2022 125,936 miles
Fail 11 Feb 2022 125,899 miles

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

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

Rear fog lamp tell-tale not working (4.9.1 (a) (ii))

Fail 25 Nov 2021 125,821 miles

Battery insecure and likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (ii))

Brake lever has insufficient reserve travel (1.1.2 (a))

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Road wheel fixing missing (5.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Rear fog lamp switch not operating in accordance with the requirements (4.5.3 (a))

Pass 16 May 2019 111,584 miles

Rear Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement D bushes. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 24 May 2018 98,417 miles

Nearside Front Outer side wall badly split

Nearside Rear Outer side wall badly split

Offside Front Outer side wall badly split

Offside Rear Outer side wall badly split

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

Fail 22 May 2018 98,415 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

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 Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Nearside Rear Service brake has no recorded effort at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Service brake has no recorded effort at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Outer side wall badly split

Nearside Rear Outer side wall badly split

Offside Front Outer side wall badly split

Offside Rear Outer side wall badly split

Pass 14 Jul 2016 97,941 miles

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

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 28 Apr 2015 96,739 miles
Pass 28 Mar 2014 94,633 miles
Pass 26 Mar 2013 93,261 miles
Pass 9 Mar 2012 91,511 miles

Nearside Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Pass 7 Mar 2011 86,568 miles

BRAKE PEDDLE RUBBER WORN

Offside outer track rod end joint cover split/missing

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

Pass 18 Feb 2010 82,715 miles

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

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

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

offside front tyre perished ;

Pass 5 Dec 2008 76,365 miles

Front Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

Nearside Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Oil leak

Fail 5 Dec 2008 76,365 miles

Front Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

Nearside Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

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

Oil leak

Pass 3 Jan 2008 70,162 miles
Pass 26 Jul 2006 67,736 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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J189 JOU is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 81%.

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 J189 JOU, 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 J189 JOU?

You can check the full history of J189 JOU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J189 JOU registered?

J189 JOU is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 12 June 1997.

Is J189 JOU safe to buy?

The MOT history for J189 JOU shows 21 tests with a 81% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J189 JOU 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 J189 JOU. 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.