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P52 SUV

1997 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires6 May 2026
Tests26 (15 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate57.7%

Mileage

181,922 mi
Last recorded181,922 miles
Recorded on7 May 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Mazda
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationP52 SUV
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourBlack
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

15 pass 11 fail
Pass 7 May 2025 181,922 miles
Pass 1 May 2024 180,724 miles
Pass 24 Apr 2023 180,347 miles

Offside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a reduced damping effect (5.3.2 (d))

Pass 13 Apr 2022 176,601 miles
Pass 16 Apr 2021 173,023 miles
Fail 16 Apr 2021 173,023 miles

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Pass 22 May 2019 172,994 miles

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

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

Fail 22 May 2019 172,994 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

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

Pass 21 May 2018 172,789 miles

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

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

Pass 25 May 2017 172,354 miles
Fail 25 May 2017 172,354 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Fail 4 Apr 2017 172,349 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded outer rear sill corroded & holed covered with glass fibre within 30cm load stress area. (5.2.6)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Front Vehicle structure is damaged, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings chassis leg has been jacked up, cracked & bent the chassis leg causing a large hole to appear, (6.1.B.2) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyre wall splitting (4.1.D.1b) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear chassis leg has be jacked up in various places and bent the chassis.

Offside Rear chassis leg has been jacked up & bent the chassis in various places.

Pass 20 Mar 2015 62,896 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

Fail 2 Mar 2015 62,895 miles

Brake fluid warning lamp inoperative (3.6.G.2)

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

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

Pass 9 Mar 2014 137,522 miles
Fail 7 Mar 2014 137,511 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision incomplete (3.3.A.1b)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

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

both front and rear disc are corroded due to lack of use.

very slight bind on the nearside front wheel

Fail 27 Jul 2013 137,413 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Brake pedal anti-slip provision incomplete (3.3.A.1b)

Hazard warning tell tale not working correctly (1.4.B.1e)

Indicator tell tale inoperative (1.4.A.2a)

Main beam 'tell-tale' not working (1.7.4c)

Nearside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

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

Nearside Front Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low and too far to the left. (1.8)

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Speedometer cannot be illuminated. (6.7.3)

Pass 19 Sep 2012 194,026 miles
Fail 14 Sep 2012 194,026 miles

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

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

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

Pass 3 Sep 2009 87,912 miles
Fail 20 Aug 2009 87,900 miles

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

Windscreen has damage to the swept area in excess of a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 25 Jun 2008 64,618 miles
Fail 24 Jun 2008 64,605 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Pass 29 Jun 2007 50,241 miles
Pass 29 Jun 2006 45,939 miles
Fail 29 Jun 2006 45,939 miles

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

oil leak

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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P52 SUV is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 57.7%.

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 P52 SUV, 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 P52 SUV?

You can check the full history of P52 SUV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P52 SUV registered?

P52 SUV is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 9 April 1997.

Is P52 SUV safe to buy?

The MOT history for P52 SUV shows 26 tests with a 57.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P52 SUV 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 P52 SUV. 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.