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J397 NLJ

1991 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Jul 2027
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

26,682 mi
Last recorded26,682 miles
Recorded on20 Jul 2026
Typical for 1991 Mazda MX-5114,279 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

RegistrationJ397 NLJ
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1991
ColourRed
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

20 pass 7 fail
Pass 20 Jul 2026 26,682 miles

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

Fail 15 Jul 2026 26,680 miles

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

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

Pass 20 May 2025 266,802 miles

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

Pass 23 Sep 2022 266,776 miles
Pass 15 Dec 2021 264,281 miles
Fail 15 Dec 2021 264,281 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

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

Pass 15 Dec 2020 266,948 miles

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 15 Dec 2020 266,948 miles

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 17 Dec 2019 245,299 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material some pipes rusty (1.1.11 (c))

Coolant leak rad drain plug

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

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

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Side wall perished and cracking, no chords visible... (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Pass 14 Jan 2019 242,098 miles

nearside rear tyre tread on 3mm...

Pass 15 Jan 2018 239,750 miles

Front screen damaged not in eye line

Pass 10 Jan 2017 227,977 miles

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

Nearside front brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.B.3)

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

Fail 9 Jan 2017 227,977 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

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

Nearside front brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.B.3)

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

Pass 6 Apr 2016 218,176 miles

Offside Front Outer Road wheel slightly damaged rim damage to rim edge (4.2.A.1a)

Fail 4 Apr 2016 218,176 miles

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

Offside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid not working (8.2.3)

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

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

Offside Front Outer Road wheel slightly damaged rim damage to rim edge (4.2.A.1a)

Pass 15 May 2015 217,573 miles
Pass 15 Jul 2014 214,493 miles

O/S Wiper blade split but clears screen effectively

Fail 2 Jul 2014 214,461 miles

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

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

Offside Front Lower Front suspension ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Upper Front suspension ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Front valance lower trim loose N/S

N/S mirror missing

O/S Wiper blade split but clears screen effectively

Pass 4 Jul 2013 212,408 miles

Non obligatory mirror damaged

Pass 27 Jun 2012 212,038 miles
Pass 5 Jul 2011 211,607 miles

Front Head Lights Stick Going Up

Pass 19 Jun 2010 210,187 miles
Pass 18 May 2009 207,449 miles
Pass 24 May 2008 199,403 miles

Nearside front brake juddering slightly (3.7.A.2b)

Offside front brake juddering slightly (3.7.A.2b)

Rear Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Suspension joint nearside upper dust cover split/missing

Suspension joint offside upper dust cover split/missing

slight coolant leak from top hose area.

slight damage to rear bumper.

Fail 2 May 2007 183,581 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

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

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

Pass 2 May 2007 183,581 miles

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

Pass 20 May 2006 180,218 miles

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

oil leak

steering joint dust cover split/missing

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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J397 NLJ is a 1991 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

Across all 1991 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.4% with a typical mileage of 114,279 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 J397 NLJ, 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 35 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 J397 NLJ?

You can check the full history of J397 NLJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J397 NLJ registered?

J397 NLJ is a 1991 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 31 December 1991.

Is J397 NLJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for J397 NLJ 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 J397 NLJ 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 J397 NLJ. 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.