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R966 WBW

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Sep 2026
Tests32 (19 pass, 13 fail)
Pass rate59.4%

Mileage

157,709 mi
Last recorded157,709 miles
Recorded on9 Sep 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

RegistrationR966 WBW
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

19 pass 13 fail
Pass 9 Sep 2025 157,709 miles
Pass 15 Mar 2024 146,507 miles
Pass 1 Jun 2022 145,647 miles
Pass 18 May 2021 145,011 miles
Pass 12 Oct 2019 143,343 miles

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

Pass 18 Oct 2018 137,919 miles

slight play at steering wheel

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

Offside Front outer sill and chassis rails slightly distorted

Fail 18 Oct 2018 137,919 miles

Driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen materially affected by an obstruction registration plate (3.1 (a) (ii))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Front Registration plate missing on dashboard (0.1 (a))

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

Offside Front outer sill and chassis rails slightly distorted

slight play at steering wheel

Pass 5 Oct 2017 133,452 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)

offside rear front to rear brake pipe slight corrosion

Fail 5 Oct 2017 133,452 miles

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

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

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)

offside rear front to rear brake pipe slight corrosion

Pass 24 Sep 2016 126,477 miles
Fail 20 Sep 2016 126,486 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Fail 19 Sep 2016 126,461 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 22 Sep 2015 121,805 miles

Offside Front Lower lower part of wing loose

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

Pass 25 Sep 2014 116,785 miles

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

Passenger seat(s) missing at time of test

Fail 23 Sep 2014 116,785 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Nearside Front Wheel nut(s) missing (4.2.A.1e)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear Wheel nut(s) missing (4.2.A.1e)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

Offside Front Wheel nut(s) missing (4.2.A.1e)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear Wheel nut(s) missing (4.2.A.1e)

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

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

Passenger seat(s) missing at time of test

Pass 29 Nov 2013 116,263 miles

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

Fail 25 Nov 2013 116,262 miles

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

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b) DANGEROUS

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

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

Pass 20 Nov 2012 114,381 miles

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 20 Nov 2012 114,381 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 22 Nov 2011 112,639 miles

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

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

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

Fail 22 Nov 2011 112,632 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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

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

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

Pass 29 Nov 2010 111,163 miles
Fail 26 Nov 2010 111,146 miles

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

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

Offside Rear coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a) DANGEROUS

Pass 1 Dec 2009 109,516 miles
Fail 30 Nov 2009 109,512 miles

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

Fail 24 Nov 2009 109,502 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

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

Pass 26 Nov 2008 108,218 miles

Front Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) slightly damaged (2.3.2)

Fail 12 Nov 2008 108,191 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) slightly damaged (2.3.2)

Pass 13 Nov 2007 107,069 miles

Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) has slight seepage (2.3.3b)

Pass 3 Nov 2006 105,884 miles
Fail 3 Nov 2006 105,884 miles

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 24 Oct 2005 101,545 miles

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

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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R966 WBW is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,598cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 32 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 59.4%.

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 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 R966 WBW, 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 R966 WBW?

You can check the full history of R966 WBW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R966 WBW registered?

R966 WBW is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 14 October 1997.

Is R966 WBW safe to buy?

The MOT history for R966 WBW shows 32 tests with a 59.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R966 WBW 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 R966 WBW. 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.