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R915 BAU

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Jul 2027
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

132,311 mi
Last recorded132,311 miles
Recorded on2 Jul 2026
Typical for 1997 Mazda MX-585,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR915 BAU
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

20 pass 8 fail
Pass 2 Jul 2026 132,311 miles

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Oil leak, but not excessive crank seal area (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 18 Jun 2025 132,184 miles
Fail 17 Jun 2025 132,182 miles

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

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 5 Apr 2023 131,611 miles

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 9 Mar 2022 130,851 miles
Pass 18 Mar 2021 130,402 miles
Fail 15 Mar 2021 130,399 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded across rear subframe (1.1.11 (c))

Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 26 Mar 2020 129,665 miles

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material rear pipe across subframe (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Subframe mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive front rear mounting 30cms from mounting point (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 7 Mar 2019 128,999 miles
Fail 8 Feb 2019 128,994 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor within precribed area of seat mtg (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner and outer sill section within prescribed lower seat belt mounting (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps (4.7.2 (a))

Pass 13 Feb 2018 127,542 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2017 126,745 miles
Pass 23 Feb 2016 125,702 miles
Fail 23 Feb 2016 125,702 miles

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Pass 28 Nov 2014 122,717 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 6 Dec 2013 117,516 miles

Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

both outersills slightly corroded

both rear wheel arches slightly corroded

oil leak

Fail 30 Nov 2013 117,492 miles

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

Offside Front Upper Ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

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

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

Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

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

both outersills slightly corroded

both rear wheel arches slightly corroded

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

oil leak

Pass 7 Nov 2012 102,914 miles

brake and fuel pipes corroded

earth strap on diff broken

front and rear suspension including subframes corroded

Pass 6 Nov 2012 107,126 miles

brake and fuel pipes corroded

earth strap broken

front and rear suspension items and subframes heavily corroded

rear discs corroded

Fail 5 Nov 2012 107,126 miles

Centre Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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

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

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

brake and fuel pipes corroded

earth strap broken

front and rear suspension items and subframes heavily corroded

rear discs corroded

Pass 18 Oct 2011 98,160 miles
Pass 20 Oct 2010 91,664 miles
Fail 30 Sep 2010 91,557 miles

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

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) DANGEROUS

Pass 5 Oct 2009 84,385 miles

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

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

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

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

Pass 8 Oct 2008 77,740 miles
Fail 1 Oct 2008 77,534 miles

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

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

Pass 1 Oct 2007 72,248 miles
Pass 21 Nov 2005 57,758 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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R915 BAU is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 R915 BAU, 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 R915 BAU?

You can check the full history of R915 BAU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R915 BAU registered?

R915 BAU is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 9 November 1997.

Is R915 BAU safe to buy?

The MOT history for R915 BAU shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R915 BAU 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 R915 BAU. 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.