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R638 KRW

1997 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1840cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Sep 2026
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

126,291 mi
Last recorded126,291 miles
Recorded on3 Sep 2025
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR638 KRW
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourBlack
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 7 fail
Pass 3 Sep 2025 126,291 miles

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

Central Rear subframe corroded

Nearside Rear wheel arch corroded

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear wheel arch corroded

Fail 2 Sep 2025 126,291 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

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

Central Rear subframe corroded

Nearside Rear wheel arch corroded

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear wheel arch corroded

Pass 13 Aug 2024 122,290 miles

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive slight leak from the bell housing (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Central Rear rear subframe corroded

Fail 9 Aug 2024 122,270 miles

Nearside Rear Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Central Front Oil leak, but not excessive slight leak from the bell housing (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Central Rear rear subframe corroded

Offside Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 30 Aug 2023 120,580 miles

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both front tyres wearing close to the edge (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 21 Aug 2023 120,519 miles

Nearside Front Outer Integral body structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced outer sill heavily corroded (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both front tyres wearing close to the edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Fuel Pipe/s corroded ()

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

Pass 7 Sep 2022 119,126 miles
Fail 7 Sep 2022 119,124 miles

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 9 Sep 2021 118,232 miles

All Brake, Steering & Suspension components underneath Car are corroded.

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

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

Offside Front Body panel slightly loose wing (6.2.1 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced chassis rail (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

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

Rear exhaust section in poor condition.

Pass 22 Jul 2020 118,187 miles

All Brake/Steering & Suspension components underneath car are corroded

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

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

Offside Front Body panel slightly loose wing (6.2.1 (a) (i))

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

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material from t piece to nearside flexi-hose (1.1.11 (c))

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

Rear exhaust section in poor condition

Pass 17 May 2019 117,053 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Fail 17 May 2019 117,053 miles

Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 3 May 2018 108,920 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened small hole (2.4.G.1)

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

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion suspension arms, subframes, etc dry with surface corriosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 5 May 2017 102,682 miles
Pass 20 Apr 2016 104,394 miles

general dryness/corrosion to underbod y/ parts / brake discs etc

Pass 5 May 2015 103,342 miles
Fail 1 May 2015 103,340 miles

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

Pass 26 Apr 2014 102,467 miles
Fail 25 Apr 2014 102,467 miles

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

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

Pass 24 Oct 2012 99,072 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 24 Oct 2011 91,515 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)

serface corrosion to fuel lines under vehicle

Pass 22 Oct 2010 83,796 miles
Pass 15 Oct 2009 76,349 miles
Pass 23 Oct 2008 69,446 miles
Pass 31 Oct 2007 62,818 miles
Pass 1 Nov 2006 57,051 miles
Pass 13 Oct 2005 51,841 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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R638 KRW is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,840cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

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 R638 KRW, 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 R638 KRW?

You can check the full history of R638 KRW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R638 KRW registered?

R638 KRW is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 8 October 1997.

Is R638 KRW safe to buy?

The MOT history for R638 KRW shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R638 KRW 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 R638 KRW. 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.