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R446 VAV

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Jun 2027
Tests25 (21 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate84%

Mileage

97,734 mi
Last recorded97,734 miles
Recorded on13 Jun 2026
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationR446 VAV
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

21 pass 4 fail
Pass 13 Jun 2026 97,734 miles

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing All tyres (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 26 Jul 2025 97,162 miles
Pass 3 Aug 2024 94,534 miles

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

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 185/60/14 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Fail 24 Jul 2024 94,534 miles

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Windscreen damaged and affecting the driver's view of the road (3.2 (a) (ii))

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

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 185/60/14 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Pass 17 Jun 2023 91,500 miles

Nearside Front Outer Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Outer Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Underside of the vehicle covered in underseal.

Pass 4 Apr 2022 90,401 miles

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

Nearside Front Lower wing rusty and corroded.

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

Offside Rear Outer sill rusty and corroed.

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

Pass 6 Apr 2021 89,841 miles

Nearside Front Outer wing corroded/rusty

Pass 8 Apr 2020 88,942 miles

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

Coolant leak from rear coolant flange on back of cylinder head

Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing corroded (both) (5.3.2 (b))

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

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

various under body component's corroded

vehicle covered in a thick layer of underseal

Fail 1 Apr 2020 88,936 miles

Dipswitch does not operate immediately when selected on dipped beam (4.1.3 (b))

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

Nearside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

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

Coolant leak from rear coolant flange on back of cylinder head

Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing corroded (both) (5.3.2 (b))

Fuel Pipe/s corroded

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

various under body component's corroded

vehicle covered in a thick layer of underseal

Pass 1 Mar 2019 87,618 miles
Pass 20 Mar 2018 85,722 miles
Pass 6 Apr 2017 84,929 miles

underside of vehicle coverd in thick underseal

Pass 1 Mar 2016 84,457 miles

underside of vehicle coverd in thick underseal

Fail 2 Mar 2015 83,052 miles

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

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

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

underside of vehicle coverd in waxol

Pass 2 Mar 2015 83,052 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

underside of vehicle coverd in waxol

Pass 3 Mar 2014 80,553 miles

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

Nearside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

parking brake effort low

Pass 4 Apr 2013 79,983 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 20 Mar 2012 78,710 miles

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 5 Apr 2011 77,661 miles
Pass 15 Mar 2010 76,949 miles
Pass 5 Jun 2009 74,194 miles

Nail in nearside front tyre

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

Fail 4 Jun 2009 74,192 miles

Nearside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

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

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

Offside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a) DANGEROUS

Nail in nearside front tyre

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

Pass 4 Jun 2008 68,611 miles

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

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

Pass 11 Jun 2007 64,169 miles
Pass 14 Jun 2006 58,702 miles

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

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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R446 VAV is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 84%.

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 R446 VAV, 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 R446 VAV?

You can check the full history of R446 VAV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R446 VAV registered?

R446 VAV is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 1 August 1997.

Is R446 VAV safe to buy?

The MOT history for R446 VAV shows 25 tests with a 84% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R446 VAV 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 R446 VAV. 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.