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L23 CGB

1997 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1840cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Mar 2027
Tests30 (21 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

100,656 mi
Last recorded100,656 miles
Recorded on4 Mar 2026
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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationL23 CGB
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,840cc

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

21 pass 9 fail
Pass 4 Mar 2026 100,656 miles

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

vehicle generally corroded but not excessively

Fail 4 Mar 2026 100,656 miles

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

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

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

vehicle generally corroded but not excessively

Pass 21 Feb 2025 92,427 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Pass 28 Feb 2024 81,634 miles

Offside Front Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Offside Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened and suspension arms (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Fail 28 Feb 2024 81,634 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.11 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Offside Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened and suspension arms (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 10 Feb 2023 75,199 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2022 75,005 miles

Front Road wheel slightly distorted Both,at inner rims. (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Fail 14 Feb 2022 75,005 miles

Front Power steering pipe/hose leaking (2.1.5 (a))

Nearside Front Headlamp levelling device inoperative (4.1.5 (a))

Front Road wheel slightly distorted Both,at inner rims. (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Pass 22 Feb 2021 74,923 miles

front wheel rims dented

Pass 6 Mar 2020 74,747 miles
Pass 27 Mar 2019 74,429 miles

Both outer sills corroding at rear,esp offside.

Pass 14 Apr 2018 74,337 miles

Nearside Front Inner Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Nearside and offside rear outer sills corroding.

Pass 20 Apr 2017 74,366 miles
Fail 20 Apr 2017 74,366 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Pass 26 Apr 2016 74,340 miles
Fail 26 Apr 2016 74,340 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Pass 16 Feb 2015 74,263 miles
Pass 26 Feb 2014 74,161 miles

Nearside and offside rear outer sills corroding.

Pass 28 Feb 2013 73,852 miles

Offside rear outer sill showing corrosion signs.

Pass 15 Mar 2012 73,394 miles

front brake pads low.(near side inner has failed).

near side headlamp aim on lower limit.

off side rear inner wheel arch corroded near limit.

off side rear outer sill corroded to limit.

rear brake pads very low(near side rear inner has failed).

windscreen wiper blades only just clear screen

Fail 15 Mar 2012 73,392 miles

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

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

front brake pads low.(near side inner has failed).

near side headlamp aim on lower limit.

off side rear inner wheel arch corroded near limit.

off side rear outer sill corroded to limit.

rear brake pads very low(near side rear inner has failed).

windscreen wiper blades only just clear screen

Pass 4 Nov 2010 70,048 miles

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

all suspension coil springs corroded

general corrosion to underside

nearside rear brake disc slightly corroded

nearside rear inner brake pad very low

Pass 23 Oct 2009 67,111 miles

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

Fail 23 Oct 2009 67,111 miles

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

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

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

Pass 28 Oct 2008 64,841 miles

N/S/R TYRE ON LIMIT

SUSPENSION BUSHES ARE PERISHED

Fail 23 Oct 2008 64,779 miles

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

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

N/S/R TYRE ON LIMIT

SUSPENSION BUSHES ARE PERISHED

Pass 26 Oct 2007 61,379 miles

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

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

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

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

engine oil leak

Pass 23 Oct 2006 57,892 miles
Fail 23 Oct 2006 57,892 miles

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

Pass 4 Nov 2005 53,629 miles

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

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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L23 CGB is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,840cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

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 L23 CGB, 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 L23 CGB?

You can check the full history of L23 CGB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L23 CGB registered?

L23 CGB is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 6 November 1997.

Is L23 CGB safe to buy?

The MOT history for L23 CGB shows 30 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L23 CGB 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 L23 CGB. 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.