CarVerify

Free Car Check

J314 JOU

1997 Mazda MX-5

White Petrol 1600cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Oct 2026
Tests23 (15 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate65.2%

Mileage

52,089 mi
Last recorded52,089 miles
Recorded on3 Oct 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Mazda
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ314 JOU
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourWhite
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,600cc

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

15 pass 8 fail
Pass 3 Oct 2025 52,089 miles

Offside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Monitor O/S/F headlamp

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing All tyres slightly cracking and over 10 years old (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 23 Sep 2025 52,084 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively Both sides (3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working Also additional central stop lamp inopeartive (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Monitor O/S/F headlamp

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing All tyres slightly cracking and over 10 years old (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 21 Aug 2024 51,973 miles
Fail 8 Jul 2024 51,971 miles

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced O/S/R outer (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Rear Rear fog lamp missing (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened Front and rear (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Front Front wipers operating slowly

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

Pass 5 Sep 2019 48,596 miles
Fail 17 Aug 2019 48,472 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Rear sill corroded

Pass 1 Sep 2018 44,736 miles

offside rear outer sill heavily filled with filler

surface corrosion to underside of vehicle in several places

Fail 24 Aug 2018 44,732 miles

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

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

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

offside rear outer sill heavily filled with filler

surface corrosion to underside of vehicle in several places

Pass 25 Aug 2017 42,573 miles

Front Body has slight corrosion both (6.1.B.2)

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Oil leak ()

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

Rear rear parking (secondary) brake grabbing slightly both (3.7.B.6b)

Fail 25 Aug 2017 42,573 miles

Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Front Body has slight corrosion both (6.1.B.2)

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Oil leak ()

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

Rear rear parking (secondary) brake grabbing slightly both (3.7.B.6b)

Pass 17 Aug 2016 42,382 miles

Front number plate cracked

General surface corrosion

Rear fog light damaged

Slight brake bind @nearside front

Fail 16 Aug 2016 42,382 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded Sill (2.4.A.3)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Front number plate cracked

General surface corrosion

Rear fog light damaged

Slight brake bind @nearside front

Pass 24 Aug 2015 41,615 miles

Nearside Front brake disc modified but not seriously weakened (3.5.1n)

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

Pass 9 Aug 2014 41,359 miles

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

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

Pass 19 Aug 2013 40,424 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 17 Aug 2013 40,422 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

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

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

Pass 24 Jul 2012 38,962 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 18 Jul 2011 38,316 miles
Pass 24 Jul 2010 37,094 miles

offside front brake disc heavaly corroded

Pass 9 Jul 2009 35,955 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2008 34,791 miles

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 10 Oct 2006 33,662 miles
Fail 2 Oct 2006 33,662 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Centre Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

J314 JOU is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in White with a 1,600cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.2%.

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 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 J314 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 J314 JOU?

You can check the full history of J314 JOU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J314 JOU registered?

J314 JOU is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 13 August 1997.

Is J314 JOU safe to buy?

The MOT history for J314 JOU shows 23 tests with a 65.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J314 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 J314 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.