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R280 CNC

1997 Mazda MX-5

Silver Petrol 1840cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 Sep 2026
Tests26 (18 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate69.2%

Mileage

70,634 mi
Last recorded70,634 miles
Recorded on30 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

RegistrationR280 CNC
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,840cc

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 8 fail
Pass 30 Sep 2025 70,634 miles

Nearside Rear 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 13 Jul 2024 70,485 miles
Fail 10 Jul 2024 70,483 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting sill (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Pass 11 Jul 2023 67,663 miles

Both Rear Inner Sills Corroded

Items removed from driver's view prior to test phone holder ()

Offside Front underside body rail dented

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Vehicle undersealed

exhaust noisy

front and rear suspension bushes perished

fuel cap seal perished

underside corrosion

Fail 1 Jul 2023 67,660 miles

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

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases centre exhaust flange bolt missing. also rear (6.1.2 (a))

Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect BOTH SIDES (4.1.2 (c))

Headlamp aim unable to be tested (4.1.2 (b))

Rear Position lamp not working BOTH SIDES (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Both Rear Inner Sills Corroded

Items removed from driver's view prior to test phone holder ()

Offside Front underside body rail dented

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Vehicle undersealed

exhaust noisy

front and rear suspension bushes perished

fuel cap seal perished

underside corrosion

Pass 30 Jun 2022 63,756 miles

All rear suspension bushes perished

Both Rear Inner Sills Corroded

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

Nearside Rear Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Offside Front underside body rail dented

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Vehicle undersealed

various underside corrosion

Pass 27 Jun 2019 63,727 miles
Pass 27 Jun 2018 63,694 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 28 Jun 2017 63,321 miles
Fail 17 Jun 2017 63,319 miles

Headlamp aim too high both (1.8)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

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

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

Offside Rear tyre perished

Pass 14 May 2016 62,299 miles

Offside Front brake slight binding

Pass 29 Apr 2015 62,215 miles

Oil leak

o/s/r tyre perished

Fail 28 Apr 2015 62,201 miles

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

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Oil leak

o/s/r tyre perished

Pass 15 May 2014 61,061 miles
Fail 14 May 2014 61,059 miles

Offside Rear coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 15 May 2013 60,628 miles
Fail 14 May 2013 60,622 miles

Nearside Front coil spring cracked (2.4.C.1a)

Pass 15 May 2012 60,289 miles

Nearside Outer Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Outer Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 6 May 2011 59,395 miles
Pass 14 May 2010 58,773 miles

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Pass 13 May 2009 57,917 miles
Pass 14 May 2008 57,052 miles

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

Nearside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

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

Fail 13 May 2008 57,041 miles

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball pin shank loose (2.2.B.1c)

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Nearside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

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

Pass 14 May 2007 55,086 miles
Fail 11 May 2007 55,044 miles

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

Pass 15 May 2006 53,430 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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R280 CNC is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Silver with a 1,840cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69.2%.

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 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 R280 CNC, 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 R280 CNC?

You can check the full history of R280 CNC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R280 CNC registered?

R280 CNC is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 30 September 1997.

Is R280 CNC safe to buy?

The MOT history for R280 CNC shows 26 tests with a 69.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R280 CNC 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 R280 CNC. 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.