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J370 TVS

1998 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1600cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Oct 2026
Tests24 (15 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate62.5%

Mileage

192,479 mi
Last recorded192,479 miles
Recorded on9 Oct 2025
Typical for 1998 Mazda MX-586,993 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationJ370 TVS
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1998
ColourRed
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 9 fail
Pass 9 Oct 2025 192,479 miles

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

Pass 6 Sep 2024 188,521 miles

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

Pass 4 Mar 2023 175,195 miles

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

front tyres stepped

Pass 8 Feb 2022 159,716 miles

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

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

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

chip in windscreen

Fail 2 Feb 2022 159,682 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

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

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

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

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

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

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

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

chip in windscreen

Pass 29 Jan 2021 157,611 miles
Pass 11 Jan 2020 156,885 miles
Fail 6 Jan 2020 156,895 miles

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid pipes leaking under bonnet (3.5 (a))

Coolant leak water pump area ()

Oil leak, but not excessive rocker cover area and running down (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 31 May 2018 152,746 miles
Fail 18 May 2018 152,740 miles

Central Stop lamp not working high level stop light (1.2.1b)

Nearside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

Offside Rear coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Pass 22 May 2017 146,540 miles

Oil leak ()

Fail 11 May 2017 146,514 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

Oil leak ()

Pass 26 Apr 2016 139,646 miles

oil leak

Fail 22 Apr 2016 139,626 miles

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

Offside Rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

oil leak

Pass 14 May 2015 129,970 miles
Fail 5 May 2015 129,865 miles

Emissions not tested (7.3.A.1)

Exhaust catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard (7.1.3)

Exhaust noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar vehicle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition (7.1.4)

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

emissions sky high off scale due to no cat fitted

Pass 24 Mar 2014 124,855 miles

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

nearside rear tyre cracking

Pass 19 Apr 2013 122,909 miles

Exhaust noisy (7.1.4)

Oil leak

Fail 18 Apr 2013 122,909 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Exhaust noisy (7.1.4)

Oil leak

Pass 18 Apr 2012 120,479 miles

Front wheels binding

Fail 17 Apr 2012 120,474 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Horn control missing (1.6.1)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Spare wheel insecure (6.4.2)

Battery insecure

Front wheels binding

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

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

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

Pass 20 Jun 2007 117,284 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

non standard exhaust fitted louder than normal

non standard registration plates fitted

Fail 20 Jun 2007 117,279 miles

Nearside Headlamp incorrect colour (1.7.5b)

Offside Headlamp incorrect colour (1.7.5b)

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

non standard exhaust fitted louder than normal

non standard registration plates fitted

Pass 30 Apr 2006 111,138 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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J370 TVS is a 1998 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,600cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 62.5%.

Across all 1998 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.9% with a typical mileage of 86,993 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 J370 TVS, 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 28 years old, this Mazda MX-5 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of J370 TVS?

You can check the full history of J370 TVS by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J370 TVS registered?

J370 TVS is a 1998 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 5 May 1998.

Is J370 TVS safe to buy?

The MOT history for J370 TVS shows 24 tests with a 62.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J370 TVS 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 J370 TVS. 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.