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1989 Caterham Unclassified MOT Pass Rate

Pass rate for Unclassified models manufactured in 1989, based on 50 real MOT test results.

90.0%
Pass Rate
10.0%
Fail Rate
50
Total Tests
38,801
Avg Mileage

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

1989 Caterham Unclassified MOT Analysis

The 1989 Caterham Unclassified has an MOT pass rate of 90.0% based on 50 tests — well above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 38,801 miles on the odometer. With a 10.0% failure rate, the 1989 Unclassified is rated as "Excellent" for MOT reliability.

The leading cause of MOT failure for the 1989 Caterham Unclassified is Noise, emissions and leaks, responsible for 6.0% of failures. 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 range from £100–1,000+.

⚠ Based on limited data (50 tests)

Top failures specific to 1989 models only. The overall Unclassified page may show different rankings.

What Fails Most

What Fails on This Car?

Click a category to see specific failure items.

View as table
MOT failure categories ranked by failure rate
RankFailure CategoryRate (%)Count
1Noise, Emissions And Leaks6.0%3

Failures per 10,000 Miles

avg. 38,801 mi

For 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.

Noise, emissions and leaks1.55% per 10K mi
View as table
Mileage-normalised failure rates by category
CategoryRate / 10K miRaw %Count
Noise, emissions and leaks1.556.0%3

Mileage Statistics

38,801
Mean
18,926
Median
6,058
25th Percentile
41,581
75th Percentile
2.58% failures per 10K miles

Mileage-adjusted failure rate — accounts for how much this model year is typically driven.

About This Data

The 1989 Caterham Unclassified has an MOT pass rate of 90.0% based on 50 tests — well above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 38,801 miles on the odometer. With a 10.0% failure rate, the 1989 Unclassified is rated as "Excellent" for MOT reliability.

If you own or are considering buying a 1989 Caterham Unclassified, you can expect reliable MOT performance overall. Before your MOT, pay particular attention to noise, emissions and leaks: 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. With relatively low average mileage of 38,801 miles, many of these vehicles are still in good mechanical condition.

Noise, emissions and leaks — 6.0% of failures

Noise, emissions and leaks issues account for 6.0% of MOT failures on 1989 Caterham Unclassified models. 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.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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