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R965 DBM

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 Aug 2026
Tests30 (21 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

78,987 mi
Last recorded78,987 miles
Recorded on15 Aug 2025
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

RegistrationR965 DBM
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

21 pass 9 fail
Pass 15 Aug 2025 78,987 miles

Nearside Front Service brake binding but not excessively nearing excessive (1.2.1 (f))

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive inner and outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive inner and outer sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Aug 2024 78,176 miles
Fail 15 Aug 2024 78,176 miles

Offside Rear Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill - (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Parking Brake Lever Has Travel - Some Reserve Left

Pass 25 Aug 2023 77,255 miles

Nearside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Fail 15 Aug 2023 77,249 miles

Offside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Sill - Inside Wheelarch Area (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating (1.2.1 (e))

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

Nearside Front Service brake binding but not excessively Nearing Excessive Bind (1.2.1 (f))

Nearside Rear Inner Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Parking Brake Lever High Travel

Pass 18 Aug 2022 76,528 miles

Nearside Rear and Offside Rear Sills Outer and Inner have Corrosion

Pass 13 Aug 2021 76,075 miles
Pass 13 Aug 2020 75,586 miles

front and rear suspension arms corroded but not excesive

Fail 13 Aug 2020 75,581 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords inner sidewall (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Rear Tyre obviously under inflated (5.2.3 (l))

front and rear suspension arms corroded but not excesive

Pass 31 Jul 2019 75,168 miles

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

low effort to rear service brake o/s and n/s

rear of n/s sill corroded but not considerd excesive

surface corrosion to front and rear suspension arms and subframes

Pass 25 Jul 2018 74,279 miles

front and rear suspension arms rusting

rear outer sills rusting

Pass 25 Jul 2017 73,243 miles

Age related surface corrosion to front and rear suspension arms

Nail in offside rear tyre

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

Pass 9 Aug 2016 72,307 miles

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

Fail 4 Aug 2016 72,301 miles

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

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

Fail 20 Apr 2015 71,075 miles

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

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

Pass 20 Apr 2015 71,075 miles

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

Pass 6 May 2014 70,152 miles

o/s outer sill rusty

o/s& n/s suspension arms rusty

Pass 30 Apr 2013 69,221 miles
Pass 23 Apr 2012 68,047 miles

os outer sill starting to corrode

Pass 11 May 2011 66,412 miles
Fail 6 May 2011 66,411 miles

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

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

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

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

Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Pass 31 Aug 2010 62,478 miles

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

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

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

Fail 31 Aug 2010 62,478 miles

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

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

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

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Pass 27 Aug 2009 52,484 miles

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

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

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

Fail 1 Sep 2008 44,462 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 1 Sep 2008 44,462 miles
Pass 21 Aug 2007 33,383 miles

lower effort to n/s/r foot & park brakes

Pass 1 Sep 2006 26,697 miles

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)

Fail 1 Sep 2006 26,697 miles

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

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

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)

Pass 1 Sep 2005 18,255 miles

All tyres have age related cracks on sidewalls.

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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R965 DBM is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

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 R965 DBM, 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 R965 DBM?

You can check the full history of R965 DBM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R965 DBM registered?

R965 DBM is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 1 August 1997.

Is R965 DBM safe to buy?

The MOT history for R965 DBM shows 30 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R965 DBM 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 R965 DBM. 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.