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P988 LOW

1996 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Jan 2027
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

146,340 mi
Last recorded146,340 miles
Recorded on13 Jan 2026
Typical for 1996 Mazda MX-586,097 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationP988 LOW
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1996
ColourBlack
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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 13 Jan 2026 146,340 miles
Pass 28 Jan 2025 144,613 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 15 Jan 2024 141,914 miles

All front ball joint boots slightly deteriorated.

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

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Lower sill area lightly corroded (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 3 Jan 2023 135,705 miles

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

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

Pass 4 Jan 2022 130,025 miles

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

Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

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

Pass 7 Jan 2021 122,410 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Outer sill area (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 25 Jun 2019 110,118 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Outer sill area (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Outer sill area (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 19 Jun 2018 105,449 miles

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive N/S/R LOWER END SILL AREA (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive O/S/R LOWER END SILL AREA (PREVIOUS REPAIR FALTERING) (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Fail 18 Jun 2018 105,446 miles

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive N/S/R LOWER END SILL AREA (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive O/S/R LOWER END SILL AREA (PREVIOUS REPAIR FALTERING) (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 8 Jun 2017 103,786 miles

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread Recommend replacement (6.3.1d)

Pass 14 Jun 2016 103,335 miles
Fail 10 Jun 2016 103,331 miles

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

Offside Front tyre wall starting to crack

Pass 18 May 2015 101,072 miles
Fail 18 May 2015 101,069 miles

Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a) DANGEROUS

Pass 9 May 2014 98,536 miles

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Fail 9 May 2014 98,535 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Pass 17 Jun 2013 97,392 miles
Fail 12 Jun 2013 97,381 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Pass 20 Apr 2012 97,270 miles

n/s rear, outer sill slight corrosion

o/s rear, outer sill slight corrosion

Pass 26 Apr 2011 96,666 miles
Pass 13 Apr 2010 96,066 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

note corrosion to rear sub frame and suspension

Fail 13 Apr 2010 96,041 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Offside Front Upper Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 3 Jun 2008 95,571 miles

signs of corrosion some wear suspension etc. front brake pads appear low.

Fail 20 May 2008 95,562 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

signs of corrosion some wear suspension etc. front brake pads appear low.

Fail 4 Apr 2008 95,450 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

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

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

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 22 May 2007 94,858 miles
Fail 1 May 2007 94,826 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

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

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

Nearside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Offside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

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

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

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

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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P988 LOW is a 1996 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1996 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 69.8% with a typical mileage of 86,097 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 P988 LOW, 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 30 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 P988 LOW?

You can check the full history of P988 LOW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P988 LOW registered?

P988 LOW is a 1996 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 22 November 1996.

Is P988 LOW safe to buy?

The MOT history for P988 LOW shows 27 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P988 LOW 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 P988 LOW. 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.