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R781 MGH

1997 Mazda MX-5

Silver Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Apr 2027
Tests21 (14 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

147,181 mi
Last recorded147,181 miles
Recorded on7 Apr 2026
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR781 MGH
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourSilver
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

14 pass 7 fail
Pass 7 Apr 2026 147,181 miles
Pass 15 Mar 2025 146,733 miles

VEHICLE HAS BEEN HEAVILY UNDERSEALED

Pass 15 Nov 2023 146,595 miles

vehicle has been undersealed

Fail 15 Nov 2023 146,595 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

vehicle has been undersealed

Pass 8 Jun 2022 145,494 miles

VEHICLE IS UNDERSEALED

Pass 5 Mar 2021 144,931 miles
Pass 30 Sep 2019 143,097 miles

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

underside has surface rust (none structural)

Pass 30 Aug 2017 143,087 miles
Pass 18 Apr 2012 142,053 miles

Oil leak

Fail 14 Apr 2012 142,060 miles

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

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Offside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Oil leak

Pass 16 Apr 2011 139,714 miles

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

Fail 15 Apr 2010 139,299 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 15 Apr 2010 139,299 miles
Pass 10 Apr 2009 134,613 miles
Pass 15 Apr 2008 130,162 miles
Fail 9 Apr 2008 130,088 miles

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

Fail 5 Apr 2008 130,084 miles

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

Offside front brake grabbing severely (3.7.A.2b)

Pass 20 Mar 2007 123,755 miles
Fail 19 Mar 2007 123,753 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

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

Pass 9 Mar 2006 100,339 miles
Fail 3 Mar 2006 100,201 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Direction indicator incomplete (1.5.A1b)

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

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

o/s rear bumper insecurly mounted

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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R781 MGH is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Silver with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 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 R781 MGH, 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 R781 MGH?

You can check the full history of R781 MGH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R781 MGH registered?

R781 MGH is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 8 August 1997.

Is R781 MGH safe to buy?

The MOT history for R781 MGH shows 21 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 R781 MGH 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 R781 MGH. 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.