Caterham Seven (S3): MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Caterham Seven (S3) passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 12.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,105 individual Caterham Seven (S3) tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 89.5% first-time pass rate means roughly 11 in every 100 Caterham Seven (S3)s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Caterham Seven (S3) tested had covered 26,754 miles and was built around 2001.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Caterham Seven (S3) bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Caterham Seven (S3) rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Caterham Seven (S3)s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Caterham Seven (S3)

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.2% of tests (4.03x the national rate for this defect)
2. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
3. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this defect)
4. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.8% of tests
5. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 0.7% of tests (1.67x the national rate for this defect)
6. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 0.6% of tests (2.79x the national rate for this defect)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.6% of tests
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 0.6% of tests
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 0.6% of tests
10. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.6% of tests

From 2,121 DVSA-tracked Caterham Seven (S3) tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.15% of these flagged Caterham Seven (S3) defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Other Caterham models

• Caterham Unclassified - 87.9%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Volkswagen Golf R-Line Tdi S-A - 89.5%
• Tesla Model 3 - 89.5%
• Audi A3 S Line 30 Tfsi Mhev S-A - 89.5%
• Porsche Taycan 4x2 - 89.5%
• Land Rover Rr Sport Hse Dyn Blck D Mhev A - 89.5%
• Volvo Xc90 R-Design B5 Awd Auto - 89.5%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate