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P38 NLW

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires14 Oct 2026
Tests23 (16 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate69.6%

Mileage

110,453 mi
Last recorded110,453 miles
Recorded on15 Oct 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 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

RegistrationP38 NLW
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
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

16 pass 7 fail
Pass 15 Oct 2025 110,453 miles

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

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

Rear Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported metal brake pipe has been replaced with brake hose (1.1.11 (d) (i))

surface corrosion on the underside of vehicle

Pass 3 Sep 2024 109,705 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Brake pads wearing low.

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

Fail 3 Sep 2024 109,705 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Brake pads wearing low.

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 4 Sep 2023 107,695 miles
Fail 26 Aug 2023 107,634 miles

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Fail 6 Dec 2018 107,534 miles

Nearside Rear 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))

Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened front and rear (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure is deformed but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Sill (6.1.1 (a) (i))

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

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

Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 17 Nov 2017 104,389 miles

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

Fail 17 Nov 2017 104,389 miles

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

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

Pass 25 Nov 2016 100,963 miles
Pass 11 Dec 2015 97,137 miles
Fail 5 Dec 2015 97,086 miles

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

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

Pass 15 Dec 2014 93,371 miles

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

Nearside Rear Valve stem slightly damaged (4.1.D.1e)

O/S/R Tyre has fine cracks

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Valve stem slightly damaged (4.1.D.1e)

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

Rear registration plate faded but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 29 Nov 2013 89,364 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 8 Nov 2012 85,487 miles
Pass 18 Nov 2011 81,898 miles

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

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

Offside number plate light slightly dim

Pass 25 Nov 2010 78,154 miles
Fail 25 Nov 2010 78,154 miles

Offside Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate (1.1.C.1e)

Pass 29 Sep 2009 73,409 miles
Pass 19 Sep 2008 69,379 miles
Fail 19 Sep 2008 69,377 miles

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

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Front Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 29 Sep 2007 65,702 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2006 61,625 miles
Pass 1 Oct 2005 58,012 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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P38 NLW is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69.6%.

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 P38 NLW, 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 P38 NLW?

You can check the full history of P38 NLW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P38 NLW registered?

P38 NLW is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 27 March 1997.

Is P38 NLW safe to buy?

The MOT history for P38 NLW shows 23 tests with a 69.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P38 NLW 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 P38 NLW. 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.