CarCostCheck

Caterham 7

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 3 years from 114 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

95%

Total Tests

114

Best Year

1997 (100%)

Years Covered

3

How reliable is the Caterham 7?

vs national average+13% (82% avg)
vs Caterham brand average+4% (91% avg)
Best to worst year spread14 percentage points

Caterham 7 by Year

YearPass RateTestsAvg Mileage
2003100%3023,642 mi
199886%3723,524 mi
1997100%4722,134 mi

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About the Caterham 7

The Caterham 7 has been tested 114 times in 2024 MOT data across 3 model years (1997 to 2003), with an average pass rate of 95%. That's comfortably above the national average of 82%, making it a reliable choice. Available as petrol.

Best and Worst Years

The 1997 model is the most reliable with a 100% pass rate from 47 tests. The 1998 model has the lowest at 86%. The 14 point spread between years means reliability varies somewhat, but no year is dramatically different.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (1997) averages 22,134 miles, while the newest (2003) averages 23,642 miles.

Compared to the Caterham brand average of 91%, the 7 performs 4 points better, making it one of the more reliable options in the Caterham range.

Click any year in the table above to see detailed running costs, individual reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.