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M278 PDV

1995 Mazda MX-5

Black Petrol 1839cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires1 Jul 2026
Tests18 (11 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate61.1%

Mileage

183,196 mi
Last recorded183,196 miles
Recorded on2 Jul 2025
Typical for 1995 Mazda MX-590,940 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Mazda
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationM278 PDV
MakeMazda
ModelMX-5
Year1995
ColourBlack
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

11 pass 7 fail
Pass 2 Jul 2025 183,196 miles

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

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 12 Sep 2020 182,354 miles

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

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

Pass 27 Aug 2019 181,649 miles

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

Pass 11 Aug 2018 176,757 miles

Brake pipes at the rear slightly corroded

Sill covers fitted not allowing full inspection.

Pass 15 Aug 2017 170,858 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded rear cross (3.6.B.2c)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit o/s & n/s front on limit (4.1.E.1)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit o/s & n/s rear on limit (4.1.E.1)

sill covers fitted

Fail 11 Aug 2017 170,858 miles

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

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

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

Brake pipe slightly corroded rear cross (3.6.B.2c)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit o/s & n/s front on limit (4.1.E.1)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit o/s & n/s rear on limit (4.1.E.1)

brake fluid level low

n/s/r caliper lever not returning

sill covers fitted

Pass 17 Feb 2016 155,600 miles
Fail 9 Feb 2016 155,581 miles

Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated (3.6.G.2)

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid level below minimum level (3.6.G.1b)

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)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Rear fog lamp missing (1.3.2a)

Pass 10 Feb 2015 143,673 miles
Fail 2 Feb 2015 143,671 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Nearside Upper Front suspension ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Offside Upper Front suspension ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 9 Mar 2013 119,506 miles

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Pass 9 Mar 2013 119,506 miles

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

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

Pass 5 Mar 2012 115,392 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside diff seal leaking

OSF wiperblade broken at end but still clearing screen

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Fail 5 Mar 2012 115,387 miles

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

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

Rear fog lamp has less than 50% of the light sources illuminating (1.3.2b)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside diff seal leaking

OSF wiperblade broken at end but still clearing screen

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Pass 7 Mar 2011 107,596 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

both rear tyres perrished

Fail 7 Mar 2011 107,596 miles

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

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

both rear tyres perrished

Pass 11 Mar 2010 100,040 miles

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

Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Fail 11 Mar 2010 100,040 miles

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

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

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

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

Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

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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M278 PDV is a 1995 Mazda MX-5 in Black with a 1,839cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.1%.

Across all 1995 Mazda MX-5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.6% with a typical mileage of 90,940 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 M278 PDV, 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 31 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 M278 PDV?

You can check the full history of M278 PDV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was M278 PDV registered?

M278 PDV is a 1995 Mazda MX-5, first registered on 31 December 1995.

Is M278 PDV safe to buy?

The MOT history for M278 PDV shows 18 tests with a 61.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does M278 PDV 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 M278 PDV. 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.