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R871 TPO

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 Jul 2026
Tests23 (18 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate78.3%

Mileage

125,295 mi
Last recorded125,295 miles
Recorded on21 Jul 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

RegistrationR871 TPO
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourGreen
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

18 pass 5 fail
Pass 21 Jul 2025 125,295 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Nail in tyre ()

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 11 Jul 2025 125,283 miles

Hazard warning switch inoperative (4.4.2 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Nail in tyre ()

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 3 May 2023 123,436 miles

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 4 Feb 2022 120,881 miles

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened and rear (5.3.3 (b) (i))

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

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

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

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened ofside front lower, nearside rear lower offside rear lower (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge offside front (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Lower Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 26 Oct 2021 120,871 miles

Emissions not tested (8.2.1.2 (d))

Nearside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is inadequately repaired (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Steering system excessively rough (2.1.1 (a))

Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened front and rear (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Coil spring corroded all four (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Front Lower Steering linkage ball joint ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt offside front lower (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened nearside rear lower offside front lower offside rear lower (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge offside front (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Inner Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened front and rear (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 2 Nov 2020 118,326 miles

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

Pass 19 Mar 2019 116,023 miles

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

Fail 16 Mar 2019 116,023 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

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

Pass 17 Feb 2018 115,547 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 22 Feb 2017 111,465 miles
Fail 20 Feb 2017 111,465 miles

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

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

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

bell housing bolt has fallen out

Pass 20 Feb 2016 107,740 miles

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

Offside Rear outer sill corroded

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

Pass 19 Feb 2015 104,528 miles
Pass 4 Mar 2014 101,138 miles

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.2.6)

rear discs rusty

Pass 1 Mar 2013 100,209 miles

rear discs rusty

Pass 12 Mar 2012 97,872 miles

rear discs rusty

wheel rims damaged

Pass 4 Feb 2011 94,752 miles

clutch worn

rear discs rusty

Pass 5 Feb 2010 91,648 miles
Pass 13 Feb 2009 89,526 miles
Pass 11 Feb 2008 87,185 miles
Pass 17 Feb 2007 84,115 miles
Pass 9 Feb 2006 78,996 miles
Fail 19 Jan 2006 78,826 miles

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

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

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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R871 TPO is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 78.3%.

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 R871 TPO, 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 R871 TPO?

You can check the full history of R871 TPO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R871 TPO registered?

R871 TPO is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is R871 TPO safe to buy?

The MOT history for R871 TPO shows 23 tests with a 78.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R871 TPO 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 R871 TPO. 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.