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N166 NBW

1996 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

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

Mileage

115,025 mi
Last recorded115,025 miles
Recorded on13 Aug 2025
Typical for 1996 Mazda MX-586,097 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

RegistrationN166 NBW
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1996
ColourGreen
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 13 Aug 2025 115,025 miles
Pass 13 Sep 2024 114,351 miles
Fail 10 Sep 2024 114,340 miles

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

Nearside Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill area (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 16 Nov 2023 114,291 miles
Pass 6 Dec 2022 114,151 miles
Fail 2 Dec 2022 114,151 miles

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

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced corrosion offside rear inner sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Coolant leak ()

Pass 4 Dec 2021 113,852 miles

Speedometer not sufficiently illuminated (7.8 (c) (i))

Fail 3 Dec 2021 113,852 miles

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

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Speedometer not sufficiently illuminated (7.8 (c) (i))

Pass 26 Nov 2019 113,556 miles
Fail 25 Nov 2019 113,556 miles

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

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

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Pass 27 Nov 2018 109,601 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Rear Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

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

both rear shock absorbors rusty

washer bottle support bracket rusted out

Fail 26 Nov 2018 109,595 miles

Nearside Inner Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Rear Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

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

both rear shock absorbors rusty

washer bottle support bracket rusted out

Pass 22 Nov 2017 106,026 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Oil leak ()

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Fail 22 Nov 2017 106,026 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

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

Oil leak ()

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Pass 25 Nov 2016 99,816 miles

offside front and rear inner sill slightly corroded

Fail 22 Nov 2016 99,816 miles

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

offside front and rear inner sill slightly corroded

Pass 26 Nov 2015 94,962 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded ns to osr (3.6.B.2c)

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

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive inner sill /wheel arch (5.2.6)

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

all suspension heavily corroded

Fail 17 Nov 2015 94,962 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded outer sill (5.2.6)

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

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

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

Brake pipe slightly corroded ns to osr (3.6.B.2c)

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

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive inner sill /wheel arch (5.2.6)

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

all suspension heavily corroded

Pass 20 Jan 2015 91,878 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 6 Nov 2013 82,598 miles

o/s/ outer sill corroded

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

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

general underbody corrosion

Pass 9 Nov 2012 74,011 miles

exhaust rubber mounts perished

Pass 26 Oct 2011 66,592 miles
Fail 25 Oct 2010 61,624 miles

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

rear exhaust corroded

small chips in windscreen

underbody corrosion

Pass 25 Oct 2010 61,624 miles

rear exhaust corroded

small chips in windscreen

underbody corrosion

Pass 9 Nov 2009 54,774 miles

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

corrosion to outer sill o/s

slight underbody corrosion

Pass 5 Nov 2008 47,375 miles

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

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

front number plate cracked

Pass 31 Oct 2007 45,129 miles

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

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

both outer sills corroded

front number plate damaged

rear subframe corroded

suspension components corroded

Pass 27 Oct 2006 41,217 miles

both outer sills corroded

front number plate damaged

serface corrosion to rear subframe

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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N166 NBW is a 1996 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 67.9%.

Across all 1996 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.8% with a typical mileage of 86,097 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 N166 NBW, 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 30 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 N166 NBW?

You can check the full history of N166 NBW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N166 NBW registered?

N166 NBW is a 1996 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 7 May 1996.

Is N166 NBW safe to buy?

The MOT history for N166 NBW 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 N166 NBW 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 N166 NBW. 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.