7.0%
Fluid leak
The vehicle is leaking a fluid — oil, coolant, fuel or hydraulic. A slight seep is common on older cars; a continuous drip is both a road hazard and a sign of something failing.
MOT wording: Oil leak, but not excessive
CaterhamUsed-car reliability
How reliable is a used Caterham?
Here's how a used Caterham holds up at the MOT, model by model.
What actually goes wrong
What breaks on Caterham cars
The most common MOT faults across the Caterham range, in plain English. Models with more MOT tests count for more. The percentage is the share of MOT tests on Caterham cars that recorded that defect.
5.4%
Wheel bearing
A wheel bearing is worn or damaged. Wheel bearings let the wheels spin smoothly — when worn, they make a humming or grinding noise and can cause the wheel to wobble.
MOT wording: Wheel bearing has slight play
4.2%
Tyre condition
A tyre is worn, cut, damaged or otherwise not fit for the road. Tyres are the only thing connecting the car to the road, so this is always worth taking seriously.
MOT wording: Tyre worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge
3.3%
Suspension joint, pin or bush
A suspension ball joint, pin, or rubber bush is worn or has excessive play. These are the pivot points and flexible mountings that let the suspension move — wear causes knocking sounds and vague steering.
MOT wording: Suspension arm pin or bush worn, but not moving too much
Across all Caterham models; models with more MOT tests count for more.
The whole range
Every Caterham that ranks, in plain English
For each model, one number: the share of its MOT tests at 7 years old that ended in a fail. Retests count as tests. Lower is better. The UK average (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%) is shown for reference. Only models with enough MOT data at 7 years old are ranked. The rest sit just below, unranked.
0 models
Fail rates are the share of MOT tests on 7-year-old cars ending in a fail, retests included (DVSA MOT results, 2025). UK average across all makes at the same age: 16.6%. How we count fail rates
Not directly comparable with the figures at 7 years old
Shown unranked. These models don’t have enough MOT data at 7 years old yet. They’re either too new (few cars old enough) or too old (few still on the road). Each is shown at the age with the most tests, so the percentages aren’t directly comparable to the list above.
Looking at one in particular?
Averages tell you the odds across the range. Enter a number plate to see that car’s own MOT history, its risk rating, and what’s likely to need attention.