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M946 LFT

1997 Mazda MX-5

Yellow Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Sep 2026
Tests28 (19 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate67.9%

Mileage

159,132 mi
Last recorded159,132 miles
Recorded on4 Sep 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationM946 LFT
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourYellow
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

19 pass 9 fail
Pass 4 Sep 2025 159,132 miles

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive floor pan (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Fail 3 Sep 2025 159,095 miles

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

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive floor pan (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Sep 2024 158,437 miles

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

Pass 24 Aug 2023 157,166 miles

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp does not illuminate (7.1.6 (a))

Pass 8 Sep 2022 155,995 miles

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

Supplementary restraint system warning lamp does not illuminate (7.1.6 (a))

Fail 11 Aug 2022 155,993 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Main beam tell-tale not working (4.9.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor pan (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Pass 16 Aug 2021 155,251 miles

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive floor pan (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Fail 12 Aug 2021 155,249 miles

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

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

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive floor pan (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 14 Aug 2020 154,648 miles
Fail 4 Aug 2020 154,646 miles

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

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

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

Pass 6 Aug 2019 153,499 miles

Both front tyres slightly perished

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

Fail 31 Jul 2019 153,499 miles

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

Both front tyres slightly perished

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

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

Pass 2 Aug 2018 152,891 miles

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

Pass 10 Jul 2017 151,217 miles

Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced both (1.7.5a)

Pass 8 Aug 2016 149,903 miles

Both rear wheel arches are slightly corroded

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Front under-tray is insecure at the offside fixing

Heavy surface corrosion on front sub frame and all front suspension components

Heavy surface corrosion on rear sub frame and all rear suspension components

Nearside rear inner sill is slightly corroded

Pass 27 Jul 2015 148,908 miles

car generally very rusty underneath but solid.

Pass 4 Aug 2014 117,835 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Oil leak

nsf brake slightly binding

Fail 3 Aug 2013 147,477 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

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

Pass 31 Jul 2013 147,380 miles
Fail 24 Jul 2013 147,327 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Rear Body or chassis has an unsatisfactory modification, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

Pass 25 Jul 2012 144,011 miles

offside rear wing panal corroding

Pass 1 Aug 2011 142,408 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

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

front and suspension and chaiss rusty

Pass 30 Jul 2010 139,125 miles
Pass 31 Jul 2009 134,460 miles
Pass 8 Jul 2008 134,316 miles
Fail 8 Jul 2008 134,316 miles

Nearside Front front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Pass 23 Aug 2006 126,261 miles

slight oil leak from back of engine

under body rusty

Fail 18 Aug 2006 126,244 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim not in a clean condition affecting light output (1.2.4a)

Offside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

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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M946 LFT is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Yellow with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 67.9%.

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 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 M946 LFT, 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 M946 LFT?

You can check the full history of M946 LFT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was M946 LFT registered?

M946 LFT is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 28 October 1997.

Is M946 LFT safe to buy?

The MOT history for M946 LFT shows 28 tests with a 67.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does M946 LFT 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 M946 LFT. 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.