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R981 SRV

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1598cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 Aug 2026
Tests30 (20 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

151,020 mi
Last recorded151,020 miles
Recorded on28 Aug 2025
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

RegistrationR981 SRV
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 10 fail
Pass 28 Aug 2025 151,020 miles

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

Fail 18 Aug 2025 151,016 miles

Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.2.1 (b))

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

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

Pass 10 Aug 2024 150,742 miles

Front Windscreen wiper blade defective both smearing (3.4 (b) (i))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both rear brake pipes corroded (1.1.11 (c))

exhaust heat shield corroded

oil leak

Fail 10 Aug 2024 150,742 miles

Front Headlamp aim too high both (4.1.2 (a))

Front Windscreen wiper blade defective both smearing (3.4 (b) (i))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both rear brake pipes corroded (1.1.11 (c))

exhaust heat shield corroded

oil leak

Pass 11 Aug 2023 150,701 miles

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

Pass 6 Aug 2022 150,028 miles

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

Pass 14 Aug 2021 149,972 miles
Pass 22 Aug 2020 149,609 miles
Fail 11 Aug 2020 149,602 miles

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

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

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

Pass 6 Apr 2019 147,875 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

oil leak

Fail 22 Mar 2019 147,868 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

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))

Offside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

front and rear suspension components rusty

Pass 3 Aug 2017 147,679 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 2mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Fail 2 Aug 2017 147,678 miles

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 2mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Pass 15 Apr 2016 145,301 miles

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

Pass 6 Mar 2015 135,221 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Fail 6 Mar 2015 135,221 miles

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 28 Feb 2014 124,056 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Fail 28 Feb 2014 124,056 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)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Fail 1 Mar 2013 114,800 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

Pass 1 Mar 2013 114,800 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Pass 28 Feb 2012 105,561 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 28 Feb 2012 105,561 miles

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Front front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Pass 22 Mar 2011 95,320 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2010 90,463 miles

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

Centre Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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

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

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

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 23 Jul 2009 88,116 miles

Slight corrossion in outer body sills[rear]

Fail 21 Jul 2009 88,116 miles

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

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

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

Slight corrossion in outer body sills[rear]

Pass 16 Jul 2008 81,003 miles
Pass 18 Jul 2007 75,078 miles
Pass 18 Jul 2006 69,430 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2005 67,836 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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R981 SRV 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 66.7%.

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 R981 SRV, 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 R981 SRV?

You can check the full history of R981 SRV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R981 SRV registered?

R981 SRV is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 16 August 1997.

Is R981 SRV safe to buy?

The MOT history for R981 SRV shows 30 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R981 SRV 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 R981 SRV. 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.