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R417 VEC

1997 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Jan 2027
Tests24 (19 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate79.2%

Mileage

64,236 mi
Last recorded64,236 miles
Recorded on13 Jan 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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR417 VEC
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

19 pass 5 fail
Pass 13 Jan 2026 64,236 miles

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

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

front lower wing corroded in non perscribed area

Pass 6 Jan 2025 64,207 miles

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

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

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 9 Jan 2024 64,143 miles

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

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

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

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Jan 2023 64,037 miles

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

Pass 10 Jan 2022 63,847 miles
Fail 12 Oct 2021 63,847 miles

Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 2 Oct 2020 62,631 miles

corrosion on inner sills

Pass 9 Apr 2019 61,386 miles

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

Rear Inner sills starting to corrode

Fail 9 Apr 2019 61,384 miles

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

Offside Front Brake hose leaking on a hydraulic braking system (1.1.12 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Rear Inner sills starting to corrode

Pass 5 Apr 2018 58,820 miles

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

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

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

method of repair to nearside rear inner sill & offside floor unknown

Pass 5 Apr 2017 58,025 miles

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

Pass 9 Apr 2016 56,990 miles
Pass 2 Apr 2015 56,209 miles
Pass 11 Jun 2014 56,187 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Oil leak

o/s/f brake binding slightly

Fail 3 Jun 2014 56,178 miles

Centre Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

Oil leak

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

Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 8 Jul 2013 55,803 miles

Oil leak

Pass 1 Jun 2012 54,337 miles

Nail in nearside rear tyre

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

Pass 2 Feb 2010 64,246 miles

Coolant leak

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 2 Feb 2010 64,246 miles

Front registration plate background overprinted or shadowed with text (6.3.1e)

Nearside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

Rear registration plate background overprinted or shadowed with text (6.3.1e)

Coolant leak

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 31 Jan 2009 53,241 miles

nearside and offside front coil springs corroded

nearside and offside rear coil springs corroded

nearside and offside rear outer sills corroded

rear brake pads low

rear number plate seperating

Pass 30 Jan 2008 508,943 miles

Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

rear number plate starting to discolour

Pass 27 Jan 2007 47,860 miles

Nearside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Oil leak

Fail 28 Jan 2006 45,343 miles

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Pass 28 Jan 2006 45,343 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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R417 VEC is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 79.2%.

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 R417 VEC, 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 R417 VEC?

You can check the full history of R417 VEC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R417 VEC registered?

R417 VEC is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 1 August 1997.

Is R417 VEC safe to buy?

The MOT history for R417 VEC shows 24 tests with a 79.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R417 VEC 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 R417 VEC. 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.