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R505 TLW

1997 Mazda MX-5

Silver Petrol 1840cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 May 2027
Tests24 (20 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate83.3%

Mileage

108,708 mi
Last recorded108,708 miles
Recorded on30 Apr 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

RegistrationR505 TLW
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourSilver
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

20 pass 4 fail
Pass 30 Apr 2026 108,708 miles
Pass 3 Apr 2025 106,970 miles
Pass 22 Apr 2024 104,312 miles

Nearside Rear Bracing bar has a broken bolt.

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

Pass 27 Apr 2023 101,360 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 11 Apr 2022 99,462 miles

Brake hose slightly deteriorated All brake hoses (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated

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

Fail 11 Apr 2022 99,461 miles

Nearside Front Steering system fouling Fouling on under tray (2.1.4 (a))

Brake hose slightly deteriorated All brake hoses (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated

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

Pass 6 Apr 2021 96,705 miles
Pass 3 Apr 2020 94,672 miles

Nearside Front Upper Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Top mount in engine bay (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Pass 16 Apr 2019 90,991 miles

Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Nearside Front Road wheel slightly distorted rim (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Offside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Fail 16 Apr 2019 90,991 miles

Offside Rear Hydraulic brake calliper leaking (1.1.16 (b) (i))

Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Nearside Front Road wheel slightly distorted rim (5.2.2 (c) (i))

Offside Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b) (ii))

Pass 2 May 2018 88,142 miles
Fail 27 Mar 2018 88,083 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 8 Apr 2017 86,002 miles

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

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

Offside Front slight corrosion on sill

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

corrosion on rear Sub-frame

Pass 1 Mar 2016 84,773 miles
Fail 1 Mar 2016 84,772 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Pass 27 Feb 2015 80,868 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 28 Feb 2014 77,721 miles

all 4 tyres starting to wear on edges both front brakes binding slightly

Pass 1 Mar 2013 74,304 miles
Pass 18 Nov 2011 69,497 miles
Pass 22 Nov 2010 65,559 miles
Pass 10 Nov 2009 61,208 miles
Pass 7 Nov 2008 55,774 miles
Pass 7 Nov 2007 51,529 miles
Pass 9 Nov 2006 46,419 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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

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

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 pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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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R505 TLW is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Silver with a 1,840cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 83.3%.

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 R505 TLW, 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 R505 TLW?

You can check the full history of R505 TLW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R505 TLW registered?

R505 TLW is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 26 September 1997.

Is R505 TLW safe to buy?

The MOT history for R505 TLW shows 24 tests with a 83.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R505 TLW 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 R505 TLW. 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.