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R449 MGJ

1997 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires16 Mar 2027
Tests23 (16 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate69.6%

Mileage

109,043 mi
Last recorded109,043 miles
Recorded on17 Mar 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
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR449 MGJ
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

16 pass 7 fail
Pass 17 Mar 2026 109,043 miles
Fail 4 Aug 2025 109,038 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively damaged (1.1.11 (c))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

front side marker lights dont come on with switch a secondary switch has to be operated

nearside outer sill corroded

Pass 8 Aug 2024 108,619 miles
Fail 8 Aug 2024 108,619 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 31 May 2023 107,904 miles

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

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

Pass 12 May 2022 105,200 miles

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

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 23 Jun 2021 102,511 miles
Fail 21 Jun 2021 102,508 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Exhaust catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard (8.2.2.1 (a))

Pass 1 Jul 2020 97,860 miles
Pass 5 Jun 2019 93,118 miles
Pass 2 Jul 2018 84,650 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 27 Jun 2018 84,647 miles

Battery insecure and likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (ii))

Brake pedal anti-slip provision worn smooth (1.1.2 (c))

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

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn arm (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Side repeater incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Side repeater incorrect colour (4.4.3 (a))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Front Position lamp incorrect colour (4.2.3 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Position lamp incorrect colour (4.2.3 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 12 Jun 2017 81,568 miles
Fail 12 Jun 2017 81,568 miles

Rear fog lamp insecure (1.3.2a)

Rear registration plate font not substantially similar to the prescribed font (6.3.4d)

Pass 20 Jun 2016 72,216 miles

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

Fail 15 Jun 2015 68,223 miles

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 15 Jun 2015 68,223 miles
Pass 15 Apr 2014 58,680 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2013 45,114 miles
Fail 18 Apr 2013 45,698 miles

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

Pass 23 Jul 2010 45,061 miles

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

Vehicle structure has slight damage (6.1.A.1)

Pass 4 Sep 2009 43,929 miles
Pass 29 Aug 2008 41,538 miles

Centre Vehicle structure has slight damage (6.1.A.1)

air bag light on

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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R449 MGJ is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69.6%.

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 R449 MGJ, 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 R449 MGJ?

You can check the full history of R449 MGJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R449 MGJ registered?

R449 MGJ is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 24 October 1997.

Is R449 MGJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for R449 MGJ shows 23 tests with a 69.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R449 MGJ 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 R449 MGJ. 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.