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R388 DHO

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 Jun 2027
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

49,506 mi
Last recorded49,506 miles
Recorded on5 Jun 2026
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

RegistrationR388 DHO
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourGreen
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

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 5 Jun 2026 49,506 miles
Fail 9 May 2026 49,459 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 1 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Pass 4 Jun 2025 48,645 miles

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

Pass 8 Jun 2024 47,984 miles

Front and rear subframe undersealed

Offside Rear Outer Sill corroded

Fail 6 Jun 2024 47,972 miles

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

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

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

Front and rear subframe undersealed

Offside Rear Outer Sill corroded

Pass 5 Jun 2021 47,265 miles

Front and rear chassis corroded

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Sill corroded

Rear Suspension components corroded

Pass 30 Apr 2019 46,060 miles

All suspension components have varying degrees of corrosion

Rear section heat shield loose but unlikely to become detached

Pass 19 Apr 2018 45,052 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

front and rear suspension components corroded

Pass 13 Feb 2017 44,043 miles
Fail 13 Feb 2017 44,043 miles

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

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

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

Pass 26 Apr 2016 43,770 miles

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

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

Fail 25 Apr 2016 43,770 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

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

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

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

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

Pass 1 May 2015 43,578 miles

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

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

all tyres splitting and cracking on sidewalls

Pass 16 Apr 2014 43,258 miles
Fail 10 Apr 2014 43,252 miles

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

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

Pass 12 Apr 2013 42,949 miles

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

chips in the windscreen

nearside front tyre has a BADLY worn sidewall

nearside rear tyre has a BADLY worn sidewall

offside front tyre has a BADLY worn sidewall

offside rear tyre has a BADLY worn sidewall

offside wiper blade is worn

Pass 12 Apr 2012 42,688 miles

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

both nearside and offside rear tyres cracking

offside front tyre cracking

Fail 11 Apr 2012 42,688 miles

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

off side rear & near side rear tyre is craking

offside front tyre is cracking

Pass 11 Apr 2011 42,560 miles
Fail 7 Apr 2011 42,560 miles

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

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

chip in the windscreen

front suspension is heavierly corroded

Pass 8 Apr 2010 42,399 miles

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

chip in windscreen

slight front brake imbalance

Fail 7 Apr 2010 42,397 miles

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

slight front brake imbalance

Pass 31 Mar 2009 42,171 miles

front suspension is corroded

Pass 4 Apr 2008 41,708 miles

rear brake pads getting low

Pass 4 Apr 2007 40,925 miles
Fail 4 Apr 2007 40,925 miles

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Offside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Pass 4 Apr 2006 39,903 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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R388 DHO is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 R388 DHO, 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 R388 DHO?

You can check the full history of R388 DHO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R388 DHO registered?

R388 DHO is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 30 September 1997.

Is R388 DHO safe to buy?

The MOT history for R388 DHO 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 R388 DHO 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 R388 DHO. 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.