CarVerify

Free Car Check

N425 VPB

1996 Caterham Seven (S3)

Yellow Petrol 2000cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Apr 2027
Tests29 (21 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate72.4%

Mileage

49,631 mi
Last recorded49,631 miles
Recorded on20 Mar 2026
Typical for 1996 Caterham Seven (S3)24,518 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Caterham
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationN425 VPB
MakeCaterham
ModelSeven (S3)
Year1996
ColourYellow
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,000cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

21 pass 8 fail
Pass 20 Mar 2026 49,631 miles
Pass 4 Apr 2025 48,083 miles
Pass 20 Mar 2024 46,439 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2023 46,348 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2022 45,583 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge all tyres 3mm (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 20 Apr 2021 45,433 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

nearside front and offside front lower suspension arm [rear] bush deteriorating

Fail 6 Apr 2021 45,433 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Rear fog lamp tell-tale not working (4.9.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

nearside front and offside front lower suspension arm [rear] bush deteriorating

Pass 17 Mar 2020 45,259 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Suspension arm ball joint has slight play nearside front lower and offside front lower (5.3.4 (a) (i))

nearside front and offside front lower suspension arm [rear] bush deteriorating

Pass 28 Mar 2019 44,987 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

nearside front and offside front lower suspension arm [rear] bush deteriorating

Pass 13 Mar 2018 44,828 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear (2.4.G.2)

Pass 3 Apr 2017 44,779 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear (2.4.G.2)

Pass 12 Apr 2016 43,981 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear (2.4.G.2)

Fail 4 Apr 2016 43,981 miles

Offside Electrical wiring insecure under-dash (1.9.2a)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear (2.4.G.2)

Pass 8 Apr 2015 43,774 miles

Nearside Outer Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bearing (2.4.G.2)

Offside Outer Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bearing (2.4.G.2)

Fail 8 Apr 2015 43,772 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Outer Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bearing (2.4.G.2)

Offside Outer Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bearing (2.4.G.2)

Pass 31 Mar 2014 41,453 miles

Nearside Outer Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Outer Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 12 Apr 2013 41,101 miles

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1a)

Fail 26 Mar 2013 41,100 miles

Nearside Front Lower Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too far to the right (1.8)

Nearside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Headlamp aim too far to the left (1.8)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.C.1a)

emmissions to be checked on retest

Pass 29 Mar 2012 38,935 miles
Fail 26 Mar 2012 38,930 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 25 Mar 2011 36,849 miles
Fail 24 Mar 2011 36,841 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 26 Mar 2010 35,557 miles

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 23 Mar 2009 34,168 miles

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 28 Mar 2008 32,398 miles
Pass 2 Apr 2007 31,097 miles

Nearside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Pass 4 Apr 2006 29,538 miles
Fail 4 Apr 2006 29,538 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Fail 15 Mar 2006 29,538 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Nearside Front Side repeater missing (1.4.A.2b)

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Nearside Rear Brake cable locking device missing (3.5.1l)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

Offside Front Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Front Side repeater missing (1.4.A.2b)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear Shock absorber casing damaged externally so the unit does not function (2.7.2a)

How Reliable is the Caterham Seven (S3)?

Based on 32,485 MOT tests across 2,453 vehicles.

86.1%
Pass Rate
613
Miles/Year
55
Year Lifespan
2,453
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Stop lamp not working 476
Steering rack gaiter split 309
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 206
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 188
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive 185
Full Caterham Seven (S3) reliability report

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

N425 VPB is a 1996 Caterham Seven (S3) in Yellow with a 2,000cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.4%.

Across all 1996 Caterham Seven (S3) models, the average MOT pass rate is 86.6% with a typical mileage of 24,518 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Caterham Seven (S3) fails its MOT is stop lamp not working, accounting for 476 recorded failures. If you're considering buying N425 VPB, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Caterham Seven (S3) typically stays on UK roads for around 55 years. At 30 years old, this Caterham Seven (S3) is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of N425 VPB?

You can check the full history of N425 VPB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N425 VPB registered?

N425 VPB is a 1996 Caterham Seven (S3), first registered on 26 March 1996.

Is N425 VPB safe to buy?

The MOT history for N425 VPB shows 29 tests with a 72.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N425 VPB have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on N425 VPB. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.