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N174 HSC

1996 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires28 Aug 2026
Tests26 (20 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76.9%

Mileage

79,834 mi
Last recorded79,834 miles
Recorded on18 Aug 2025
Typical for 1996 Mazda MX-586,097 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

RegistrationN174 HSC
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1996
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

20 pass 6 fail
Pass 18 Aug 2025 79,834 miles

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Pass 29 Aug 2024 78,050 miles

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Fail 12 Aug 2024 78,018 miles

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

Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced 3 holes (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

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

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

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Pass 24 Aug 2023 75,082 miles

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

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 23 Aug 2023 75,077 miles

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

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

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

Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 18 Aug 2022 71,664 miles

Central Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material o/side to brake union (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 12 Aug 2021 69,125 miles
Pass 26 Aug 2020 67,871 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material all visible front to rear brake pipes covered in grease (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened wish bone (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Fail 18 Aug 2020 67,869 miles

Offside Front Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced floor (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material all visible front to rear brake pipes covered in grease (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened wish bone (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Pass 8 Aug 2019 66,647 miles

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

steering heavy

Pass 7 Aug 2018 63,586 miles
Pass 20 Jul 2017 61,116 miles
Fail 19 Jun 2017 61,102 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

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

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded chassis leg (5.2.6)

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

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded inner sill (5.2.6)

Offside Front coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

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

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

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

inner sills heavily corroded and holed but not within 30cm of a prescribed area

Pass 24 Jun 2016 60,327 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

o/s front floor becoming corroded

Pass 11 Jun 2015 56,894 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Pass 2 Jul 2014 55,973 miles
Fail 1 Jul 2014 55,973 miles

Nearside Front coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a) DANGEROUS

Pass 20 Jun 2013 53,977 miles
Pass 28 Jun 2012 52,928 miles
Fail 23 Jun 2012 52,928 miles

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

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

Pass 20 May 2011 50,509 miles
Pass 22 Apr 2010 47,480 miles
Pass 16 Apr 2009 42,415 miles
Pass 2 May 2008 39,887 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2007 37,179 miles
Pass 13 Apr 2006 33,381 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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N174 HSC is a 1996 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.9%.

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 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 N174 HSC, 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 N174 HSC?

You can check the full history of N174 HSC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N174 HSC registered?

N174 HSC is a 1996 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 30 June 1996.

Is N174 HSC safe to buy?

The MOT history for N174 HSC shows 26 tests with a 76.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N174 HSC 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 N174 HSC. 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.