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R386 VWL

1997 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1840cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 Apr 2027
Tests24 (18 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

130,068 mi
Last recorded130,068 miles
Recorded on30 Apr 2026
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR386 VWL
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

18 pass 6 fail
Pass 30 Apr 2026 130,068 miles
Pass 17 Apr 2025 123,320 miles

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

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

Fail 18 Mar 2025 123,206 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced rear subframe (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 18 Mar 2024 117,834 miles

Brake lever pivots slightly worn (1.1.1 (b))

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge worn badly on inner edge 195/45R15 (5.2.3 (e))

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

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))

Rear Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced subframe (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 21 Mar 2023 110,376 miles

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

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

Fail 21 Mar 2023 110,371 miles

Nearside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Offside Front Upper Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength inner wheel arch (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

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

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

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

Pass 11 Aug 2021 110,304 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear outer sill showing signs of corrosion

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 1 Nov 2019 109,307 miles
Pass 22 Aug 2018 109,296 miles

chip in screen

slight power steering weep

Fail 17 Aug 2018 109,286 miles

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

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

Nearside Front wheel binding slightly

chip in screen

slight power steering weep

Pass 7 Apr 2017 107,613 miles
Pass 8 Apr 2016 105,634 miles

o/s/r tyre worn close to legal limit

o/s/r wheel dented slightly

Fail 16 Mar 2016 105,634 miles

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

Offside Rear tyre close to limit

Offside Rear wheel rim dented

Pass 17 Mar 2015 102,062 miles

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

o/s/r hand brake effort

o/s/r wheel rim dented

Fail 17 Mar 2015 102,062 miles

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

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

o/s/r hand brake effort

o/s/r wheel rim dented

Pass 17 Mar 2014 94,910 miles
Fail 10 Mar 2014 94,899 miles

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

Pass 6 Jun 2012 91,917 miles

both outer sills showing signs of corrosion

Pass 24 Sep 2010 89,876 miles

Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Pass 24 Sep 2009 78,525 miles

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Pass 25 Sep 2008 74,676 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 14 Nov 2007 68,951 miles
Pass 24 Oct 2006 61,572 miles
Pass 1 Nov 2005 58,424 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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R386 VWL is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,840cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

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 R386 VWL, 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 R386 VWL?

You can check the full history of R386 VWL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R386 VWL registered?

R386 VWL is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 21 November 1997.

Is R386 VWL safe to buy?

The MOT history for R386 VWL shows 24 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R386 VWL 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 R386 VWL. 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.