Caterham Unclassified MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 8,105 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 15.1%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Caterham Unclassified MOT Reliability Overview
The Caterham Unclassified is a less common vehicle in the UK, with 8,105 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 35 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 84.9% and a failure rate of 15.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Caterham Unclassified earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Caterham Unclassified presents for MOT with approximately 12,094 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2010 models achieve the highest pass rate at 90.1%, while 1999 models have the lowest at 72.3%. This 17.8 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Caterham Unclassified is Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, affecting 8.1% 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 5.7%. Noise, emissions and leaks rounds out the top three at 5.4%. 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
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 5 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Caterham Unclassified vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Caterham Unclassified. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 11 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Caterham Unclassified actually sees a 11% decrease in failure rate after the warranty period. This is likely due to survivorship bias — unreliable cars are already off the road by this age. Peak failure occurs at age 9 (16.9% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
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% | 1,236 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.1% | 497 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.4% | 440 |
| 4 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 5.4% | 434 |
| 5 | Tyres | 4.0% | 323 |
| 6 | Steering | 2.2% | 178 |
| 7 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 1.9% | 154 |
| 8 | Visibility | 1.2% | 99 |
| 9 | Registration Plates And Vin | 0.9% | 73 |
| 10 | Driver's View Of The Road | 0.9% | 71 |
| 11 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.8% | 67 |
| 12 | Non-component Advisories | 0.4% | 29 |
| 13 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 0.3% | 22 |
| 14 | Road Wheels | 0.2% | 13 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 12,094 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 | 12.61 | 15.2% | 1,236 |
| Suspension | 5.07 | 6.1% | 497 |
| Brakes | 4.49 | 5.4% | 440 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.43 | 5.4% | 434 |
| Tyres | 3.30 | 4.0% | 323 |
| Steering | 1.82 | 2.2% | 178 |
| Visibility | 1.73 | 2.1% | 170 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 1.57 | 1.9% | 154 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.74 | 0.9% | 73 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.68 | 0.8% | 67 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.30 | 0.4% | 29 |
| Body & Structure | 0.22 | 0.3% | 22 |
| Wheels | 0.13 | 0.2% | 13 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Caterham Unclassified has 12,094 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 Unclassified has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 12.49% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Caterham Unclassified MOT Data
The Caterham Unclassified is a less common vehicle in the UK, with 8,105 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 35 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 84.9% and a failure rate of 15.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Caterham Unclassified 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 Unclassified is likely to perform.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 8.1% of failures
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment issues account for 8.1% of MOT failures on the Caterham Unclassified. 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 — 5.7% of failures
Suspension issues account for 5.7% of MOT failures on the Caterham Unclassified. 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.
Noise, emissions and leaks — 5.4% of failures
Noise, emissions and leaks issues account for 5.4% of MOT failures on the Caterham Unclassified. Emissions failures occur when exhaust gases exceed legal limits for carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), or particulate matter (diesel). Common causes include faulty oxygen sensors, clogged catalytic converters, or DPF issues on diesel vehicles. Typical repair costs: £100–1,000+. Pre-MOT check: If the engine management light is on, get it diagnosed before the MOT. For diesel cars, ensure the DPF has completed a regeneration cycle. Regular servicing and using premium fuel before the test can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Caterham Unclassified?
Based on 8,105 MOT tests in our database, the Caterham Unclassified has an overall pass rate of 84.9% (15.1% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Caterham Unclassified?
The top 3 reasons a Caterham Unclassified fails its MOT are: 1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (8.1%), 2. Suspension (5.7%), 3. Noise, emissions and leaks (5.4%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Caterham Unclassified reliable?
With a 15.1% MOT failure rate, the Unclassified is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Caterham Unclassified?
Based on failure data, focus on: Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (8.1%); Suspension (5.7%); Noise, emissions and leaks (5.4%). 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.