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J971 WUK

1997 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires4 Feb 2026
Tests31 (20 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate64.5%

Mileage

98,408 mi
Last recorded98,408 miles
Recorded on5 Feb 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationJ971 WUK
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
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 11 fail
Pass 5 Feb 2025 98,408 miles

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

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

Oil leak, but not excessive gearbox and rear differential (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Vehicle has been lowered

Fail 29 Jan 2025 98,397 miles

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

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

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

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

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

Oil leak, but not excessive gearbox and rear differential (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Vehicle has been lowered

Pass 26 Jan 2024 96,266 miles

Non standard indicators flashing close to maximum limit

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

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

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

Slight oil seepage from differential

Pass 9 Nov 2022 93,885 miles

Central Rear Oil misting at diff

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

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

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

Fail 5 Nov 2022 93,884 miles

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

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Central Rear Oil misting at diff

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

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

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

Pass 26 Oct 2021 93,649 miles

Central Rear Brake lamp not working

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Tyre size: 185/60R14 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Oil leak, but not excessive Gearbox/sump area (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Nov 2020 90,277 miles

Fluid leak, but not excessive Offside rear differential flange area. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Inner Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill body at rear. (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced wheel arch (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive Transmission area. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 5 Nov 2020 90,277 miles

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements Spacing between groups of characters, lettering size & distance between lettering/boarder. (0.1 (d))

Fluid leak, but not excessive Offside rear differential flange area. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Inner Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill body at rear. (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Front Nail in tyre wearing on inner edge. ()

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced wheel arch (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside front tyre valve slightly cracked/perished.

Oil leak, but not excessive Transmission area. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Nov 2019 78,168 miles
Pass 29 Apr 2019 77,390 miles

Offside Front Body component slightly loose wing (6.2.1 (a) (i))

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

Fail 15 Apr 2019 77,296 miles

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Body component slightly loose wing (6.2.1 (a) (i))

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

Pass 18 Apr 2018 74,610 miles

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

Fail 18 Apr 2018 74,610 miles

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 10 Apr 2017 71,388 miles

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

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

Fail 10 Apr 2017 71,388 miles

Central Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

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

Pass 13 Apr 2016 67,883 miles
Fail 4 Apr 2016 67,746 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sill (2.4.A.3)

Pass 15 Apr 2015 64,506 miles
Fail 15 Apr 2015 64,506 miles

Offside Front Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Pass 3 Apr 2014 61,752 miles
Pass 25 Apr 2013 59,728 miles
Fail 15 Apr 2013 59,663 miles

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

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

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

o/s front outer tyre starting to wear

Pass 18 Apr 2012 57,297 miles
Fail 18 Apr 2012 57,297 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 11 Apr 2011 54,879 miles
Pass 26 Apr 2010 52,258 miles

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

Fail 19 Apr 2010 52,155 miles

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

Offside Rear Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Pass 30 Mar 2009 49,386 miles
Pass 16 Apr 2008 46,711 miles
Pass 30 Apr 2007 44,227 miles
Pass 27 Apr 2006 41,336 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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J971 WUK is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.5%.

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 J971 WUK, 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 J971 WUK?

You can check the full history of J971 WUK by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J971 WUK registered?

J971 WUK is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 11 November 1997.

Is J971 WUK safe to buy?

The MOT history for J971 WUK shows 31 tests with a 64.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J971 WUK 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 J971 WUK. 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.