Caterham Seven
From 512 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, stop lamps all missing or inoperative and braking effort inadequate at a wheel. The top issue, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, caused 11 failures in 2024. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 11 |
| stop lamps all missing or inoperative | 9 |
| braking effort inadequate at a wheel | 5 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 5 |
| service brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 4 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 4 |
| lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 4 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 3 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 3 |
| parking brake inoperative on one side | 3 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. Only 25.5% of Seven failures are serious (safety or roadside), below the 44.4% average. When this car fails its MOT, it's more likely to be lights, wipers, or emissions than something dangerous. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £83.
Typical mileage
Half of all Sevens tested had between 8,961 and 27,764 miles on the clock. Relatively low mileage overall. Many are still fairly young.
At 19,023 median miles, the Seven has 0.077 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Caterham models
| Caterham Unclassified | 87.9% |
| Caterham Seven (S3) | 89.5% |
Common questions
What is the Caterham Seven MOT pass rate?
The Caterham Seven has a 85.4% MOT pass rate based on 512 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Caterham Seven?
The most common MOT failure on the Caterham Seven is the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which caused 11 failures. Other common issues include stop lamps all missing or inoperative.
What is the typical mileage of a Caterham Seven at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Caterham Seven is 19,023 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 8,961 and 27,764 miles.
Buying a used Seven?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.