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P473 VDL

1997 Mazda MX-5

Silver Petrol 1840cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires11 May 2026
Tests24 (14 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate58.3%

Mileage

107,164 mi
Last recorded107,164 miles
Recorded on12 May 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationP473 VDL
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,840cc

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

14 pass 10 fail
Pass 12 May 2025 107,164 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 7 May 2025 107,119 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))

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 5 Apr 2024 100,730 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material slight corrosion starting at main metal brake pipe (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Outer sill slight corrosion

Offside Rear Outer sill slight corrosion

Fail 5 Apr 2024 100,730 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material slight corrosion starting at main metal brake pipe (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Outer sill slight corrosion

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

Offside Rear Outer sill slight corrosion

Pass 14 Apr 2023 99,914 miles

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

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

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

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Sub-frame is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Fail 6 Apr 2023 99,909 miles

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

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

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

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

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Sub-frame is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 8 Feb 2022 99,503 miles

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

Fail 8 Feb 2022 99,503 miles

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

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

Pass 2 Mar 2021 97,754 miles

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Fail 18 Feb 2021 97,750 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.1.2 (d))

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

Offside Rear Steering component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.1.2 (e) (i))

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 26 Feb 2014 94,223 miles

Offside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

Fail 26 Feb 2014 94,220 miles

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

Offside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

Pass 27 Feb 2013 86,634 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Fail 26 Feb 2013 86,634 miles

Offside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 17 Feb 2012 79,909 miles
Pass 24 Feb 2011 73,541 miles

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

Fail 24 Feb 2011 73,541 miles

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

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

Pass 3 Mar 2010 66,341 miles
Fail 2 Mar 2010 66,341 miles

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

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Fail 19 Nov 2008 58,165 miles

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

Pass 19 Nov 2008 58,165 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2007 51,967 miles

front wiper blades starting to split

Pass 29 Mar 2007 50,956 miles
Pass 10 Apr 2006 48,727 miles

inside of front brake discs in poor condition

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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P473 VDL is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Silver with a 1,840cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 58.3%.

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 P473 VDL, 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 P473 VDL?

You can check the full history of P473 VDL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P473 VDL registered?

P473 VDL is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 17 May 1997.

Is P473 VDL safe to buy?

The MOT history for P473 VDL shows 24 tests with a 58.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P473 VDL 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 P473 VDL. 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.