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VAZ 1704

1998 Mazda MX-5

Red Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires13 Nov 2026
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

177,637 mi
Last recorded177,637 miles
Recorded on14 Nov 2025
Typical for 1998 Mazda MX-586,993 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationVAZ 1704
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1998
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

20 pass 8 fail
Pass 14 Nov 2025 177,637 miles
Pass 15 Oct 2024 171,519 miles
Pass 11 Oct 2023 169,190 miles
Pass 26 Oct 2022 168,359 miles

rusting underneath

Pass 20 Oct 2021 165,930 miles

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

Pass 29 Sep 2020 159,312 miles
Pass 26 Sep 2019 152,342 miles

Offside Rear Inner Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Pass 3 Oct 2018 148,490 miles

Nearside Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Offside Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 16 Oct 2017 145,149 miles
Pass 20 Oct 2016 140,730 miles

Centre Rear stop light not working

Fail 23 Jul 2016 140,315 miles

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

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases silencer (7.1.2)

Rear fog lamp emits a light other than red (1.3.2e)

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit 3mm outer edge (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 3mm also cracking across tread (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit 2mm outer edge (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 3mm also cracking across tread (4.1.E.1)

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

Pass 19 Aug 2015 135,869 miles

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

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

slight surface corrosion across the vehicle

Fail 13 Jul 2015 135,645 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear coil spring broken (2.4.C.1a) DANGEROUS

gear box has (trans)fluid leak.

Pass 3 Jul 2014 128,874 miles

Oil leak

Rear fog lamp deteriorated, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

exhaust deteriorating

Fail 3 Jul 2014 128,874 miles

Oil leak

Rear fog lamp deteriorated, but still visible from a reasonable distance (1.3.2d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

exhaust deteriorating

Pass 15 Jul 2013 124,063 miles

Oil leak

Fail 2 Jul 2013 124,011 miles

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oil leak

steering wheel flexing no visable cracks or fractures

Pass 20 Jun 2012 119,366 miles

Nearside front brake grabbing slightly (3.7.A.2b)

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

Oil leak

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

Fail 20 Jun 2012 119,366 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside front brake grabbing slightly (3.7.A.2b)

Offside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the left. (1.8)

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

Oil leak

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

Pass 10 Aug 2011 114,175 miles

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

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

Oil leak

Fail 22 Jul 2010 108,655 miles

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

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Oil leak

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

Pass 22 Jul 2010 108,655 miles

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

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

Oil leak

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

Pass 10 Jul 2009 101,538 miles

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

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

Offside Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

all tyres side walls perished

osf tyre side wall damaged

Pass 15 Jul 2008 93,174 miles

Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nail in offside rear tyre

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

all tyres sidewalls perishing

osf side wall damaged

Fail 15 Jul 2008 93,174 miles

Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nail in offside rear tyre

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

all tyres sidewalls perishing

osf side wall damaged

Pass 27 Jul 2007 87,904 miles
Fail 26 Jul 2007 87,904 miles

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

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

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

Pass 20 Jun 2006 79,595 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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VAZ 1704 is a 1998 Mazda MX-5 in Red with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

Across all 1998 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.9% with a typical mileage of 86,993 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 VAZ 1704, 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 28 years old, this Mazda MX-5 is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of VAZ 1704?

You can check the full history of VAZ 1704 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was VAZ 1704 registered?

VAZ 1704 is a 1998 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 5 October 1998.

Is VAZ 1704 safe to buy?

The MOT history for VAZ 1704 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 VAZ 1704 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 VAZ 1704. 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.