Caterham Super MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Caterham Super MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Caterham Super passed on its first attempt in 91.7%, and its overall record sits +11.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Caterham Super in the 2023–2025 data: 813 tests across 12 model years (2001–2012). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Caterham Super MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Caterham Super, the Noise, emissions and leaks section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Caterham Super's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Caterham Super DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Caterham Super, each with how many of the model's 813 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 20 Caterham Super tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 16 Caterham Super tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (Minor) — noted on about 13 Caterham Super tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 7 Caterham Super tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (Minor) — noted on about 6 Caterham Super tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 6 Caterham Super tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Caterham Super Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Caterham Super model year on record is 2007 (95.5% across 66 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (83.8%). The gap between them is 11.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Caterham Super Owners

These checks follow this Caterham Super's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Caterham Super.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

• the steering — “steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated,”

  With the wheels straight, rock the steering wheel gently with the engine off — more than about an inch of free play before the wheels move is worth investigating. Split rack gaiters are cheap to replace and commonly recorded.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Caterham Super. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Caterham Super MOT & Reliability