Caterham Seven MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 4,349 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 14.4%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Caterham Seven MOT Reliability Overview
The Caterham Seven is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 4,349 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 25 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 85.6% and a failure rate of 14.4%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Caterham Seven earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Caterham Seven presents for MOT with approximately 19,689 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1991 models achieve the highest pass rate at 91.2%, while 2010 models have the lowest at 64.7%. This 26.5 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Caterham Seven is Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment, affecting 8.6% of all tests. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. The second most common issue is Suspension at 5.6%. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment rounds out the top three at 4.7%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 15.2% | 659 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.0% | 261 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.0% | 218 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.0% | 173 |
| 5 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 3.2% | 138 |
| 6 | Steering | 2.9% | 124 |
| 7 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 1.9% | 84 |
| 8 | Driver's View Of The Road | 1.2% | 51 |
| 9 | Visibility | 0.9% | 40 |
| 10 | Registration Plates And Vin | 0.6% | 25 |
| 11 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.5% | 22 |
| 12 | Non-component Advisories | 0.3% | 13 |
| 13 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 0.3% | 12 |
| 14 | Items Not Tested | 0.1% | 6 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 19,689 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps & Electrical | 7.70 | 15.2% | 659 |
| Suspension | 3.05 | 6.0% | 261 |
| Brakes | 2.55 | 5.0% | 218 |
| Tyres | 2.02 | 4.0% | 173 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 1.61 | 3.2% | 138 |
| Steering | 1.45 | 2.9% | 124 |
| Visibility | 1.07 | 2.1% | 91 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.98 | 1.9% | 84 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.29 | 0.6% | 25 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.26 | 0.5% | 22 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.15 | 0.3% | 13 |
| Body & Structure | 0.14 | 0.3% | 12 |
| Items Not Tested | 0.07 | 0.1% | 6 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Caterham Seven has 19,689 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Caterham Seven has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 7.31% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Caterham Seven MOT Data
The Caterham Seven is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 4,349 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 25 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 85.6% and a failure rate of 14.4%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Caterham Seven owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Seven is likely to perform.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 8.6% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 8.6% of MOT failures on the Caterham Seven. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Suspension — 5.6% of failures
Suspension issues account for 5.6% of MOT failures on the Caterham Seven. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 4.7% of failures
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment issues account for 4.7% of MOT failures on the Caterham Seven. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Caterham Seven?
Based on 4,349 MOT tests in our database, the Caterham Seven has an overall pass rate of 85.6% (14.4% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Caterham Seven?
The top 3 reasons a Caterham Seven fails its MOT are: 1. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (8.6%), 2. Suspension (5.6%), 3. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (4.7%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Caterham Seven reliable?
With a 14.4% MOT failure rate, the Seven is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Caterham Seven?
Based on failure data, focus on: Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (8.6%); Suspension (5.6%); Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (4.7%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.