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VSU 886

1997 Mazda MX-5

Green Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires30 Jan 2027
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

92,601 mi
Last recorded92,601 miles
Recorded on27 Jan 2026
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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationVSU 886
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1997
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,839cc

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 27 Jan 2026 92,601 miles

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all tyres on outer sidewalls (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 26 Jan 2026 92,599 miles

Exhaust emissions - engine idle speed too high failed natural idle test (8.2.1.2 (e))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing all tyres on outer sidewalls (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 28 Jan 2025 92,522 miles
Pass 9 Jan 2024 92,475 miles

Offside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged (3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 18 Jan 2023 92,439 miles

Offside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged (3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 31 Jan 2022 92,123 miles
Fail 25 Jan 2022 92,112 miles

Central Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Obligatory mirror slightly damaged (3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 8 Jan 2021 91,544 miles

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Rear Upper Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened both (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 10 Jan 2020 91,374 miles

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

slight corrosion o/s/f floor

Fail 10 Jan 2020 91,374 miles

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

Steering wheel rim loose cover was slipping (2.2.1 (c) (i))

slight corrosion o/s/f floor

Pass 4 Jan 2019 91,236 miles

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

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

Pass 17 Jan 2018 90,819 miles

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

Oil leak ()

Fail 17 Jan 2018 90,809 miles

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

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

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

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 11 Jan 2017 89,523 miles

Oil leak ()

Pass 13 Jan 2016 88,622 miles

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

Fail 11 Jan 2016 88,616 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 7 Jan 2015 88,112 miles

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

Pass 31 Jan 2014 86,298 miles
Fail 6 Aug 2013 86,265 miles

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

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Oil leak

Pass 21 Jun 2012 82,930 miles
Fail 18 Jun 2012 82,894 miles

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Items removed from driver's view prior to test

Pass 28 Jun 2011 80,764 miles
Fail 16 Jun 2011 80,746 miles

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 17 Jun 2010 78,116 miles

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

Pass 4 Jun 2009 75,930 miles

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

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

Pass 30 May 2008 74,304 miles
Pass 8 Jun 2007 72,786 miles
Pass 14 Jun 2006 71,386 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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VSU 886 is a 1997 Mazda MX-5 in Green with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 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 VSU 886, 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 VSU 886?

You can check the full history of VSU 886 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was VSU 886 registered?

VSU 886 is a 1997 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 16 May 1997.

Is VSU 886 safe to buy?

The MOT history for VSU 886 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 VSU 886 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 VSU 886. 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.