Does the Caterham Seven fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Caterham Seven records 4.07 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 6.32 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.25, 95% interval −2.78 to −1.73). It ranks 500 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Caterham Seven by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Caterham Seven is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 210 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 210 | 2.37 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 131 | 1.48 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 8,876 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Caterham Seven by postcode area · Caterham Seven body, chassis and structure failures · Caterham Seven brakes failures · Caterham Seven vehicle identification failures · Caterham Seven lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Caterham Seven noise, emissions and leaks failures · Caterham Seven suspension failures · Caterham Seven tyres failures · Caterham Seven visibility failures