Know Your MOT
11.9%fail rate

Caterham Supersport common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Caterham Supersport fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 84 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 11.9% of MOT tests recorded on the Caterham Supersport in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is exhaust & emissions, which makes up 20.0% of the Caterham Supersport's failures, followed by exhaust & emissions, lamps & electrical, other, visibility/wipers. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Exhaust & emissions20.0% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Lamps & electrical20.0% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Other20.0% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Visibility/wipers20.0% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Steering20.0% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Body & structure10.0% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the exhaust & emissions failure: Caterham Supersport exhaustSearch Amazon for Caterham Supersport exhaustaffiliate searchFind Caterham Supersport exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Caterham Supersport headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Caterham Supersport headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Caterham Supersport headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Caterham Supersport wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Caterham Supersport wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Caterham Supersport wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Caterham Supersport steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Caterham Supersport steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Caterham Supersport steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Caterham Seven MOT failures13.6% failure rateCaterham Super MOT failures14.4% failure rateCaterham Unknown MOT failures11.1% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain