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L5 CFX

1997 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Jul 2027
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

87,095 mi
Last recorded87,095 miles
Recorded on14 Jul 2026
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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationL5 CFX
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,839cc

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 9 fail
Pass 14 Jul 2026 87,095 miles
Fail 12 Jun 2026 86,774 miles

Driver's airbag missing (7.1.5 (a))

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

Exhaust catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard (8.2.1.1 (a))

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm insecurely attached fixing between arm and hub (5.3.3 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the left. (4.1.2 (a))

Central Rear Sub-frame attachment bracket/mounting missing across subframe (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Sub-frame attachment bracket/mounting missing brace bar between subframe and body (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Sub-frame attachment bracket/mounting missing brace bar between subframe and body (5.3.3 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 2 May 2025 78,298 miles
Fail 2 May 2025 78,298 miles

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

Pass 7 Aug 2023 77,720 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 20 Jul 2023 77,719 miles

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

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

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

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

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

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

Pass 8 Jul 2022 77,069 miles

Corrosion offside sill

Fail 6 Jul 2022 77,069 miles

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

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

Corrosion offside sill

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 14 Jul 2021 76,131 miles

Rear sills rusty

Pass 22 Jul 2020 75,165 miles
Fail 9 Jul 2020 75,165 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 1 Apr 2019 73,593 miles

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))

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

Fail 1 Apr 2019 73,580 miles

Nearside Rear Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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))

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

Pass 4 Apr 2018 71,709 miles

Offside Front tyre cracking

Fail 3 Apr 2018 71,709 miles

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Offside Front tyre cracking

Pass 28 Mar 2017 69,587 miles

brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both rear discs (3.5.1i)

Pass 12 Apr 2016 67,752 miles

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

Tyre worn close to the legal limit rear tyres (4.1.E.1)

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

Pass 13 Apr 2015 65,818 miles

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

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Oil leak

Pass 8 Apr 2014 63,886 miles

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

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

Oil leak

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

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

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

Pass 26 Mar 2013 61,470 miles

Oil leak

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

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

Pass 19 Mar 2012 59,546 miles

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

Fail 19 Mar 2012 59,546 miles

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

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

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

Pass 11 Apr 2011 57,677 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2010 55,565 miles

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

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

Pass 9 Apr 2009 51,966 miles
Fail 8 Apr 2009 51,966 miles

Nearside Front 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)

Pass 12 Apr 2008 47,654 miles

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

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

Pass 11 Apr 2007 39,832 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2006 33,085 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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L5 CFX is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

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 L5 CFX, 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 L5 CFX?

You can check the full history of L5 CFX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L5 CFX registered?

L5 CFX is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is L5 CFX safe to buy?

The MOT history for L5 CFX shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L5 CFX 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 L5 CFX. 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.