1999 Mazda MX-5 1.8L Petrol · V630 JKG

The Mazda MX-5 passed its most recent MOT on 14 January 2026 at 57,233 miles with a stable but aged fault profile. The maintenance trend is neither worsening nor resolving; corrosion and wear items persist year to year without escalation into failures. The January 2026 test flagged rear brake pipes corroded and greased, pitted rear brake discs, cut near-side front inner tyre sidewall, headlamp lens soiling, and corroded front and rear sub-frames with general underbody corrosion, all carried as advisories rather than defects. Recorded mileage shows light use for a 27-year-old car. The odometer read 55,399 miles in January 2023, 56,025 in January 2024, 56,898 in January 2025, and 57,233 in January 2026. That is roughly 2,120 miles per year, with only 834 miles added across the whole of 2025. Low annual mileage and the repeated advisories for all-round suspension and brake component corrosion suggest the car has spent long periods standing, allowing surface rust to establish on sub-frames, brake pipes, and suspension arms rather than being driven enough to keep them exercised. A buyer should inspect the front and rear sub-frames and underbody in person for structural rust progression, since the tester noted corrosion but no significant rigidity loss from 2023 through 2026. The rear brake pipes have drawn corrosion advisories at every test since January 2024 and must be closely checked for pitting. Rear brake discs scored and pitted across the same period imply the calipers and discs need measurement. The off-side rear service brake bound at the January 2024 failure and earlier 2023 pass; confirm no caliper seizure remains. The January 2024 failure on exhaust CO after second fast idle, excessive wiper blade wear, and oil leak that has appeared at every test since 2023 point to intermittent basic upkeep. Check the near-side front inner tyre cut from January 2026 against the sidewall, verify the registration plate deterioration has been replaced, and confirm the headlamp lens soiling is cleaned rather than masked.