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P481 ARN

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Jan 2027
Tests32 (21 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate65.6%

Mileage

106,944 mi
Last recorded106,944 miles
Recorded on21 Jan 2026
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

RegistrationP481 ARN
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourGreen
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

21 pass 11 fail
Pass 21 Jan 2026 106,944 miles

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

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

Pass 13 Jan 2025 104,072 miles

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

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

Fail 6 Jan 2025 104,072 miles

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

Offside Rear Inner Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced Sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Pass 18 Dec 2023 101,469 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Outer sill slightly corroded

Pass 20 Dec 2022 99,286 miles

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

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

Fail 19 Dec 2022 99,286 miles

Nearside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake hose excessively damaged (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

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

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

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

Pass 21 Dec 2021 96,983 miles
Fail 17 Dec 2021 96,983 miles

Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced os & ns inner sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced arch (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Jan 2021 94,690 miles

Rear os & ns inner sills slightly corroded

Pass 4 Dec 2019 92,295 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive arch (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Fail 2 Dec 2019 92,295 miles

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

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

Nearside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive arch (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 11 Dec 2018 91,371 miles
Fail 10 Dec 2018 91,371 miles

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 3 Jan 2018 89,733 miles

Front os & ns tyres slightly perrished in side walls

Pass 12 Dec 2016 88,187 miles
Fail 12 Dec 2016 88,187 miles

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

Pass 15 Dec 2015 86,216 miles

Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit os & ns on legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 19 Dec 2014 83,138 miles
Pass 20 Dec 2013 79,635 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2013 78,327 miles

Corrosion appearing to o/s sill

Pass 13 Feb 2012 76,706 miles

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

Fail 9 Feb 2012 76,706 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

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

Pass 1 Feb 2011 75,322 miles

N/S/F DISC SCORED,AND RUSTY.

REAR DISCS IN POOR CONDITION.

STEERING HEAVY.

Fail 28 Jan 2011 75,322 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

N/S/F DISC SCORED,AND RUSTY.

REAR DISCS IN POOR CONDITION.

STEERING HEAVY.

Pass 26 Feb 2010 73,809 miles

CORROSION FRONT AND REAR SUBFRAMES,SUSPENSION ARMS,A/ROLL BARS,LINKARMS ETC.

WIPER BLADES SPLIT ON ENDS.

Fail 25 Feb 2010 73,809 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

CORROSION FRONT AND REAR SUBFRAMES,SUSPENSION ARMS,A/ROLL BARS,LINKARMS ETC.

WIPER BLADES SPLIT ON ENDS.

Pass 24 Feb 2009 70,830 miles
Fail 23 Feb 2009 70,830 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Pass 21 Feb 2008 69,820 miles
Fail 15 Feb 2008 69,795 miles

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

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

Pass 21 Dec 2006 69,727 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 16 Dec 2005 66,211 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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P481 ARN is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 32 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.6%.

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 P481 ARN, 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 P481 ARN?

You can check the full history of P481 ARN by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P481 ARN registered?

P481 ARN is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 30 June 1997.

Is P481 ARN safe to buy?

The MOT history for P481 ARN shows 32 tests with a 65.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P481 ARN 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 P481 ARN. 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.