Does the Caterham Seven fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Caterham Seven records 3.98 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 26.30 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−22.32, 95% interval −23.39 to −21.26). It ranks 692 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Caterham Seven by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Caterham Seven is “A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated”, recorded 130 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 130 | 1.46 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 68 | 0.77 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 55 | 0.62 |
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
If a Caterham Seven gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
6.5% of Caterham Seven MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.3 months and 560 miles later (647 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 647 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · 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 steering failures · Caterham Seven tyres failures · Caterham Seven visibility failures