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R309 DGY

1997 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1840cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Sep 2026
Tests23 (15 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate65.2%

Mileage

81,720 mi
Last recorded81,720 miles
Recorded on24 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR309 DGY
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourBlack
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

15 pass 8 fail
Pass 24 Sep 2025 81,720 miles

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

offside front wing corroded and holed

Fail 16 Sep 2025 81,700 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is inadequately repaired outer sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

Rear Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

offside front wing corroded and holed

Pass 9 Sep 2023 81,456 miles

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

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

Fail 15 Aug 2023 81,436 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

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

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

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

underside of vehicle corroded but not exessive

Pass 8 Aug 2022 80,855 miles
Pass 12 Aug 2021 80,214 miles

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

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

Offside Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Fail 2 Aug 2021 80,214 miles

Battery insecure and likely to cause a short circuit (4.13 (a) (ii))

Central Rear Prop shaft joint excessively worn (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Offside Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Pass 14 Sep 2017 80,000 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre wearing on outer edge

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit And wearing on inner edge (4.1.E.1)

Fail 14 Sep 2017 80,000 miles

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

Nearside Front Tyre wearing on outer edge

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit And wearing on inner edge (4.1.E.1)

Pass 9 Sep 2016 79,031 miles

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

Pass 1 Sep 2015 77,219 miles

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

Fail 18 Aug 2015 77,216 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 3 Jul 2014 73,570 miles
Fail 3 Jul 2014 73,570 miles

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

Offside Headlamp aim not tested (1.8.A.1c)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 5 Jul 2013 68,930 miles
Fail 1 Jul 2013 68,930 miles

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

Pass 1 Feb 2012 63,826 miles

nearside and offside rear outer sills are rusty

Pass 3 Feb 2011 58,730 miles
Pass 28 Jan 2010 56,300 miles

offside rear tyre is low on tread

Fail 9 Feb 2009 52,525 miles

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

rear of o/s outer door sill beginning to corrode

Pass 9 Feb 2009 52,525 miles

rear of o/s outer door sill beginning to corrode

Pass 11 Jun 2007 46,615 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2006 42,831 miles

1 advise metal in nearside rear tyre †2 advise cut on inner wall offside front tyre †3 advise sump cover fitted

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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R309 DGY is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,840cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.2%.

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 R309 DGY, 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 R309 DGY?

You can check the full history of R309 DGY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R309 DGY registered?

R309 DGY is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 18 November 1997.

Is R309 DGY safe to buy?

The MOT history for R309 DGY shows 23 tests with a 65.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R309 DGY 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 R309 DGY. 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.