88.2%
Caterham Seven pass rate
Used Caterham Seven buying guide
In 2025, Caterham Seven cars passed 88.2% of 1,991 initial MOT tests, 15.9 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific Seven? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Caterham Seven MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+15.9
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the Seven sits 65th of 575 models in the data. Caterham as a brand averaged 89.3%, so this model runs 1.1 points behind its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Caterham Seven MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the Seven compares with similar cars.
Seven fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Caterham Seven cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the Seven fails its MOT
Where Caterham Seven cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (5.3%), stop lamp all not working (4.7%) and rear fog lamp not working (4.6%). See every common Seven MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Caterham Seven that failed, not a claim that every Seven has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used Seven?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 37.5% of Seven failure items.
2
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 21.9% of Seven failure items.
3
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 12.9% of Seven failure items.
4
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 8.7% of Seven failure items.
5
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 5.3% of Seven failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Caterham Seven failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and noise, emissions and leaks tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact Seven you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Used Caterham Seven FAQs
Is the Caterham Seven reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 88.2% first-time pass rate for the Caterham Seven across 1,991 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Caterham Seven?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, noise, emissions and leaks and brakes. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Caterham Seven's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.