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P53 PUR

1997 Mazda MX-5

White Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Oct 2026
Tests30 (21 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

120,327 mi
Last recorded120,327 miles
Recorded on24 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

RegistrationP53 PUR
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourWhite
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 9 fail
Pass 24 Oct 2025 120,327 miles

front and rear subframes generally corroded

track prepared car

Pass 15 Aug 2024 120,116 miles

extremely well prepared competition car

Pass 20 Nov 2023 120,029 miles
Fail 20 Nov 2023 120,029 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

Pass 15 Oct 2022 118,866 miles
Pass 16 Oct 2021 117,425 miles

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened Both front lower arms (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 31 Oct 2020 112,266 miles

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

Suspension component corroded but not seriously weakened front suspension components (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge All tyres worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 12 Jul 2019 104,321 miles
Pass 2 Nov 2018 103,026 miles

Nearside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

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

Fail 10 Jul 2018 102,564 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

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

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

Pass 29 Jun 2017 96,348 miles

Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.4.G.2)

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

Nearside Front brake slightly binding

Nearside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Oil leak ()

number plate lights loose but still secure

Pass 5 Jul 2016 88,079 miles

front & rear suspension undersealed

slight drag o/s/f wheel

suspension bolts & nuts corrosion

suspension componants rusty

underside surface corrosion

Fail 1 Jul 2016 88,079 miles

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

Nearside Front Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Offside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

suspension bolts & nuts corrosion

suspension componants rusty

underside surface corrosion

Pass 9 Oct 2015 87,383 miles
Fail 9 Oct 2015 87,383 miles

Centre Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Pass 30 Sep 2014 85,889 miles

all suspension parts rusty

osr tyre persished

Fail 29 Sep 2014 85,888 miles

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

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

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

all suspension parts rusty

osr tyre persished

Pass 26 Sep 2013 83,738 miles
Pass 29 Sep 2012 81,497 miles
Fail 28 Sep 2012 81,497 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Pass 12 Oct 2011 79,528 miles
Fail 11 Oct 2011 79,525 miles

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

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

Pass 20 Sep 2010 75,997 miles
Pass 17 Sep 2009 73,481 miles
Fail 16 Sep 2009 73,478 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Pass 17 Sep 2008 70,414 miles
Fail 17 Sep 2008 70,414 miles

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

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

Pass 10 Sep 2007 67,603 miles
Pass 11 Sep 2006 61,437 miles
Pass 21 Feb 2006 61,206 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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P53 PUR is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in White with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

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 P53 PUR, 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 P53 PUR?

You can check the full history of P53 PUR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P53 PUR registered?

P53 PUR is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 6 January 1997.

Is P53 PUR safe to buy?

The MOT history for P53 PUR shows 30 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P53 PUR 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 P53 PUR. 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.