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R701 WBK

1997 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Mar 2027
Tests18 (12 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

77,037 mi
Last recorded77,037 miles
Recorded on23 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

RegistrationR701 WBK
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

12 pass 6 fail
Pass 23 Mar 2026 77,037 miles

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

Central Exhaust heat shield partially insecure

Central Stop lamp(s) non-obligatory stop lamp not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

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

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

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

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

Fail 16 Mar 2026 76,997 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (5.2.3 (i))

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (5.2.3 (i))

Offside Front Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (5.2.3 (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (5.2.3 (i))

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

Central Exhaust heat shield partially insecure

Central Stop lamp(s) non-obligatory stop lamp not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

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

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

Pass 26 Mar 2025 74,733 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases Cat joint (6.1.2 (a))

General underside corrosion

Nearside Rear Sill corroded

Offside Rear Sill corroded

Fail 7 Mar 2025 74,723 miles

Exhaust catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard (8.2.1.1 (a))

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases Cat bypass pipe (6.1.2 (a))

Front brake discs incorrect size for pads

General underside corrosion

Nearside Rear Outer sill corroded

Offside Rear Outer sill corroded

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

Pass 13 Mar 2024 67,995 miles
Pass 12 Jan 2023 61,299 miles

Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Fail 19 Dec 2022 61,277 miles

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

Offside Front Subframe mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint likely to become detached Locking device missing (5.3.4 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint likely to become detached Nut excessive damaged (5.3.4 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 2 Jun 2014 61,159 miles

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

Pass 14 Feb 2013 59,540 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Fail 20 Feb 2012 58,617 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

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

both offside rear and offside front tyres have cracks forming on tread and sidewalls

Pass 20 Feb 2012 58,617 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

both offside rear and offside front tyres have cracks forming on tread and sidewalls

Pass 2 Jul 2010 68,300 miles

offside front tyre has cracks on side wall

Fail 28 Jun 2010 68,300 miles

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

offside front tyre has cracks on side wall

Pass 2 Feb 2009 56,940 miles

Offside front tyre has minor cracks in sidewall

Pass 30 Jan 2008 55,706 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)

Pass 30 Jan 2007 54,115 miles

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

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 29 Jan 2007 54,115 miles

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Pass 26 Jan 2006 52,784 miles

1) Rear discs & pads worn! †2) Front pads low!

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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R701 WBK is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

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 R701 WBK, 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 R701 WBK?

You can check the full history of R701 WBK by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R701 WBK registered?

R701 WBK is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 30 October 1997.

Is R701 WBK safe to buy?

The MOT history for R701 WBK shows 18 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R701 WBK 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 R701 WBK. 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.