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L715 XHU

1997 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Jun 2027
Tests19 (15 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate78.9%

Mileage

62,054 mi
Last recorded62,054 miles
Recorded on5 Jun 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

RegistrationL715 XHU
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,598cc

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 4 fail
Pass 5 Jun 2026 62,054 miles

Front Registration plate insecure but not likely to fall off (0.1 (a))

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Upper Suspension component 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))

Reversing lamp not working

Fail 3 Jun 2026 62,051 miles

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

Oil leaking excessively from engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Front Registration plate insecure but not likely to fall off (0.1 (a))

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Upper Suspension component 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))

Reversing lamp not working

Pass 4 Jun 2025 59,183 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint dust cover Perished

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

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension component ball joint dust cover Perished

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint dust cover Perished

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

Offside Front Upper Suspension component ball joint dust cover Perished

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

Rear Reversing lamp not working

Fail 3 Jun 2025 59,180 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint dust cover Perished

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

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension component ball joint dust cover Perished

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin Approx. 3mm (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint dust cover Perished

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

Offside Front Upper Suspension component ball joint dust cover Perished

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin Approx. 2mm (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

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

Rear Reversing lamp not working

Pass 6 Jun 2024 56,445 miles

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

Nearside Front Outer Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Also cracking ,perishing. (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Outer Tyre slightly damaged Also worn on inner edge. (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Pass 7 Jun 2023 52,663 miles
Pass 7 Jun 2022 48,814 miles
Pass 5 Jun 2021 44,774 miles
Pass 9 Jun 2020 40,756 miles

nearside rear tyre perished

offside rear tyre perished

Pass 24 Oct 2018 37,814 miles

Front suspension arm bushes minor play

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Perished (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Perished/sidewall marked (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 23 Oct 2018 37,814 miles

Nearside Direction indicator adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.4.3 (b))

Nearside Direction indicator light intensity significantly reduced (4.4.3 (a))

Nearside Front Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Nearside Headlamp aim so that beam "kick up" is not visible on the screen (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Headlamp light intensity severely reduced (4.1.4 (a))

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Front suspension arm bushes minor play

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Perished (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Perished/sidewall marked (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 28 Sep 2017 36,166 miles
Pass 9 Jun 2015 36,123 miles
Pass 5 Jun 2014 35,945 miles
Pass 31 May 2012 35,762 miles
Fail 3 Jun 2010 35,517 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)

Pass 3 Jun 2010 35,517 miles
Pass 28 May 2009 35,127 miles

Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

slight mark in windscreen

Pass 11 Apr 2008 34,791 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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L715 XHU is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 78.9%.

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 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 L715 XHU, 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 L715 XHU?

You can check the full history of L715 XHU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L715 XHU registered?

L715 XHU is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 8 April 1997.

Is L715 XHU safe to buy?

The MOT history for L715 XHU shows 19 tests with a 78.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L715 XHU 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 L715 XHU. 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.