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R26 STP

1997 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Sep 2026
Tests21 (16 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate76.2%

Mileage

71,592 mi
Last recorded71,592 miles
Recorded on5 Sep 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationR26 STP
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourRed
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

16 pass 5 fail
Pass 5 Sep 2025 71,592 miles

underbody seal applied

Fail 5 Sep 2025 71,589 miles

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

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

underbody seal applied

Pass 1 Dec 2020 69,485 miles

Nearside Front Body structure leg damaged

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Cracking across tread (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Outer sill slight corrosion

Offside Rear Tail lamp lens broken

Oil level low

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

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 30 Nov 2020 69,480 miles

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

Nearside Front Body structure leg damaged

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Cracking across tread (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Outer sill slight corrosion

Offside Rear Tail lamp lens broken

Oil level low

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

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 30 May 2019 66,402 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

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

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

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

o/s/r light lens cracked and holed

slight surface corrosion to n/s outer sill area

Pass 31 May 2018 64,391 miles

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

Nearside Handbrake performance low

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

Fail 31 May 2018 64,391 miles

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

Nearside Handbrake performance low

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

Pass 2 Jun 2017 62,524 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 2 mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 3 mm (4.1.E.1)

Rear brake pads getting low

Fail 1 Jun 2017 62,524 miles

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 2 mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 3 mm (4.1.E.1)

Rear brake pads getting low

Pass 25 May 2016 60,724 miles

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases silencer (7.1.2)

Fail 25 May 2016 60,719 miles

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases silencer (7.1.2)

Pass 13 May 2015 58,589 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Front anti roll bar bushes worn

Nearside Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Rear anti roll bar bushes worn

Pass 30 May 2014 56,163 miles

Nearside rear parking (secondary) brake imbalance requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.6b)

both front tyres perishing on side walls

Pass 23 May 2013 53,307 miles

Offside front tyre perishing

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1b)

Pass 28 May 2012 52,067 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2011 44,391 miles
Pass 1 Sep 2010 40,780 miles
Pass 8 Sep 2009 33,670 miles

front pads low

offside rear brake binding slightly

rear fog light partially covered by tow bar bracket

single tone air horn fitted

slight blow rear exhaust

surface corrosion underside of vehicle

Pass 2 Sep 2008 23,297 miles

front tyres perished

offside rear brake binding slightly

Pass 30 Aug 2007 13,474 miles
Pass 16 Sep 2006 5,729 miles

handbrake travel

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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R26 STP is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.2%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 R26 STP, 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 R26 STP?

You can check the full history of R26 STP by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R26 STP registered?

R26 STP is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is R26 STP safe to buy?

The MOT history for R26 STP shows 21 tests with a 76.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R26 STP 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 R26 STP. 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.