CarVerify

Free Car Check

R96 BCV

1997 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1597cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Feb 2027
Tests18 (13 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate72.2%

Mileage

136,559 mi
Last recorded136,559 miles
Recorded on7 Feb 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
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationR96 BCV
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,597cc

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

13 pass 5 fail
Pass 7 Feb 2026 136,559 miles

Central Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

Central Front Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view stone chip (3.2 (a) (i))

Front and rear suspension components corroded ( surface ).

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

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

Pass 10 Aug 2022 135,021 miles

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

has slight corrosion under body, sills and chassis

Pass 27 Aug 2021 134,499 miles

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

has slight corrosion under body, sills and suspension components

Pass 24 Aug 2020 127,970 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule front and rear (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Front Lower Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive rear outer sills n/s and o/s (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

front and rear suspension components surface corroded

front lower ball joint rubber boots slightly deteriorated n/s and o/s

handbrake travel long ??

power steering pipes corroded

Pass 8 Aug 2019 127,631 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule front and rear x 4 (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Front Lower Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive outer sills n/s and o/s (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material T piece / cross over (1.1.11 (c))

front and rear suspension components heavily surface corroded

front lower suspension ball joint boots slightly deteriorated n/s and o/s

power steering pipes slightly corroded

vehicle been standing for a while ??

Fail 8 Aug 2019 127,631 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule front and rear x 4 (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Front Lower Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive outer sills n/s and o/s (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material T piece / cross over (1.1.11 (c))

front and rear suspension components heavily surface corroded

front lower suspension ball joint boots slightly deteriorated n/s and o/s

power steering pipes slightly corroded

vehicle been standing for a while ??

Pass 22 Jun 2018 127,616 miles

Front and rear suspension components heavily corroded. None of which are considerably weakened at time of test.

Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive BOTH outer door sills (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Fail 15 Jun 2018 127,606 miles

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

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

Front and rear suspension components heavily corroded. None of which are considerably weakened at time of test.

Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive BOTH outer door sills (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Pass 15 Jun 2017 127,362 miles

All sub frames, suspension components and braking components heavily corroded - None of which are excessive enough at time of test

Pass 9 Jun 2016 127,180 miles

Offside Rear Direction indicator affected by the operation of another lamp (1.4.A.2h)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

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

front steering, & front and rear suspension, and brake components rusty

Pass 16 Jun 2015 127,120 miles

surface corrosion to rear subframe,steering,suspension and brake components,

Fail 16 Jun 2015 127,120 miles

Nearside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate (1.1.C.1e)

Offside Registration plate lamp not illuminating the registration plate (1.1.C.1e)

surface corrosion to rear subframe,steering,suspension and brake components,

Pass 17 Jun 2014 126,948 miles

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

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

steering,suspension and brake components have surface corrosion

Fail 6 Jun 2014 126,942 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)

Nearside Rear Upper coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)

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

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

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

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

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

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

o/s front wheel slightly stiff to turn

steering,suspension and brake components have surface corrosion

Pass 12 Jun 2013 126,872 miles

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside front brake binding slightly

Subframes, brakes, steering & suspension components corroded

Pass 31 May 2012 126,666 miles

Nearside Rear Upper coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

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

Pass 18 May 2011 125,984 miles
Fail 16 May 2011 125,982 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

R96 BCV is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.2%.

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 R96 BCV, 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 R96 BCV?

You can check the full history of R96 BCV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R96 BCV registered?

R96 BCV is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 21 October 1997.

Is R96 BCV safe to buy?

The MOT history for R96 BCV shows 18 tests with a 72.2% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R96 BCV 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 R96 BCV. 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.