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R530 XAR

1997 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires15 Mar 2027
Tests27 (21 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate77.8%

Mileage

59,752 mi
Last recorded59,752 miles
Recorded on16 Mar 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

RegistrationR530 XAR
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,598cc

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 6 fail
Pass 16 Mar 2026 59,752 miles

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin both wearing slightly this (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 27 Oct 2025 59,677 miles

Nearside Front Outer sil bubbling.

Nearside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive wheel arch (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive outer sil (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Outer sil bubbling.

Offside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive wheel arch (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Pass 18 Oct 2024 59,252 miles

Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive nearside and offside ,sils (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Fail 10 Oct 2024 59,252 miles

Central Front Lower Power steering pipe/hose leaking (2.1.5 (a))

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively nearside and offside. (3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive nearside and offside ,sils (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 12 Oct 2023 58,674 miles

Rear outer sils rusty ,nearside and offside.

Pass 13 Oct 2022 58,481 miles

Rear nearside and offside outer sils have welded repair patches, now starting to have surface rust on

Fail 12 Oct 2022 58,481 miles

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

Rear nearside and offside outer sils have welded repair patches, now starting to have surface rust on

Pass 21 Sep 2021 58,040 miles
Pass 29 Sep 2020 57,509 miles

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases box,small hole (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 11 Apr 2019 56,660 miles
Pass 13 Apr 2018 55,743 miles
Pass 3 May 2017 54,783 miles

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

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

Pass 22 Apr 2016 54,126 miles

front windscreen slightly scored

Pass 28 Apr 2015 52,921 miles

Slight corrosion to rear brake discs

Pass 17 Apr 2014 49,894 miles

Both rear brake discs corroded

Fail 12 Apr 2014 49,872 miles

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)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Both rear brake discs corroded

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

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 23 Apr 2013 48,355 miles

Nearside Lower Front suspension ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

offside rear brakedisc badly corroded.

Fail 20 Apr 2013 48,347 miles

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

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Nearside Lower Front suspension ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

offside rear brakedisc badly corroded.

Pass 30 Apr 2012 46,355 miles
Fail 26 Apr 2012 46,355 miles

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

rear brake discs pitted and rusty

Pass 9 Apr 2011 43,577 miles

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

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

Pass 16 Apr 2010 37,875 miles

n/s door mirror missing

o/s/r outer sill heavily corroded

rear brake discs slightly pitted

rear brake pads wearing thin

Pass 29 Apr 2009 36,367 miles

Front + rear discs slightly rusty

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

Pass 4 Feb 2008 34,076 miles
Fail 4 Feb 2008 34,076 miles

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 3 Feb 2007 30,119 miles
Pass 6 Feb 2006 25,465 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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R530 XAR is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.8%.

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 R530 XAR, 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 R530 XAR?

You can check the full history of R530 XAR by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R530 XAR registered?

R530 XAR is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 23 September 1997.

Is R530 XAR safe to buy?

The MOT history for R530 XAR shows 27 tests with a 77.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R530 XAR 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 R530 XAR. 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.