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J27 AMX

1997 Mazda MX-5

Brown Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Jul 2027
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

153,415 mi
Last recorded153,415 miles
Recorded on18 Jul 2026
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationJ27 AMX
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourBrown
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,598cc

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

20 pass 7 fail
Pass 18 Jul 2026 153,415 miles

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

Pass 24 Jun 2025 152,433 miles

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

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

Pass 2 May 2024 150,595 miles

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

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

Pass 3 May 2023 148,829 miles

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

Offside Front Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced chassis rail (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Pass 9 May 2022 143,921 miles

Brake hose slightly deteriorated all (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Fail 5 May 2022 143,909 miles

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

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

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

Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Brake hose slightly deteriorated all (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Pass 25 Nov 2020 143,826 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (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 3 Oct 2020 143,712 miles

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

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

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

Pass 30 Apr 2019 134,565 miles

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Nearside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 8 May 2018 127,202 miles

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

Vehicle Showing Signs of corrosion throughout

Pass 5 May 2017 119,816 miles

Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Pass 8 Apr 2016 114,453 miles

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

Fail 8 Apr 2016 114,448 miles

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded outer sill (5.2.6)

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

Pass 6 May 2015 111,215 miles

slight corrosion to O/S/R outer sill

Pass 15 Apr 2014 104,777 miles
Pass 11 Apr 2013 99,416 miles

Front pads the geting thin

Fail 5 Apr 2013 99,338 miles

Nearside Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

Front pads the geting thin

Rear brake discs are in poor condition

Fail 13 Apr 2012 93,682 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 13 Apr 2012 93,682 miles
Pass 9 Apr 2011 88,428 miles

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

Oil leak

misfire on engine

o/s rear brake discs slightly corroded

plastic rear window split

Fail 4 Apr 2011 88,424 miles

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

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

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Oil leak

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

misfire on engine

o/s rear brake discs slightly corroded

plastic rear window split

Pass 29 Apr 2010 85,292 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

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

Pass 24 Apr 2009 82,319 miles

front to rear fuel and brake pipes starting to corrod

nearside rear outer sill corroded

off side front wiper split

Fail 24 Apr 2009 82,319 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

front to rear fuel and brake pipes starting to corrod

nearside rear outer sill corroded

off side front wiper split

Pass 21 Apr 2008 77,740 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 9 Mar 2007 72,076 miles
Pass 18 Mar 2006 66,585 miles

all tyres getting low

both front tyres perishing †

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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J27 AMX is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Brown with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

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 J27 AMX, 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 J27 AMX?

You can check the full history of J27 AMX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J27 AMX registered?

J27 AMX is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 1 August 1997.

Is J27 AMX safe to buy?

The MOT history for J27 AMX shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J27 AMX 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 J27 AMX. 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.