Is the Caterham Seven reliable?

The Caterham Seven has an average MOT pass rate of 88% across 9 years, based on 342 tests in 2024. That's 6 points above the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 2008 with a 100% pass rate.

Which year Caterham Seven is best?

The 2008 Caterham Seven has the highest MOT pass rate at 100%, while the 2010 model has the lowest at 67%. There's a 33 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Caterham Seven Running Costs, MOT Pass Rates & Reliability

Caterham Seven

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 9 years from 342 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

88%

Total Tests

342

Best Year

2008 (100%)

Years Covered

How reliable is the Caterham Seven?

vs national average+6% (82% avg)

vs Caterham brand average-3% (91% avg)

Best to worst year spread33 percentage points

Caterham Seven by Year

Year	Pass Rate	Tests	Avg Mileage
2012	78%	41	18,486 mi
2011	91%	35	20,046 mi
2010	67%	67	13,264 mi
2009	94%	31	13,010 mi
2008	100%	33	15,679 mi
2007	90%	30	19,336 mi
1999	84%	31	27,925 mi
1998	94%	34	13,380 mi
1997	90%	40	29,877 mi

Checking a specific Caterham Seven?

Enter the reg plate to see its individual MOT history, mileage verification, and predicted costs.

About the Caterham Seven

The Caterham Seven has been tested 342 times in 2024 MOT data across 9 model years (1997 to 2012), with an average pass rate of 88%. That's comfortably above the national average of 82%, making it a reliable choice. Available as petrol.

Best and Worst Years

The 2008 model is the most reliable with a 100% pass rate from 33 tests. The 2010 model has the lowest at 67%. With a 33 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (1997) averages 29,877 miles, while the newest (2012) averages 18,486 miles.

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