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P7 ACE

1996 Caterham Seven (S3)

Blue Petrol 1699cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires9 Oct 2026
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

98,113 mi
Last recorded98,113 miles
Recorded on9 Oct 2025
Typical for 1996 Caterham Seven (S3)24,518 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Caterham
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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationP7 ACE
MakeCaterham
ModelSeven (S3)
Year1996
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,699cc

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

20 pass 9 fail
Pass 9 Oct 2025 98,113 miles

Wheel bearing has slight play both fronts (5.1.3 (a) (i))

various surface corrosion under vehicle

Pass 10 Oct 2024 96,759 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 6 Oct 2023 94,105 miles

Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive Weap from engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Wheel bearing has slight play Both front (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Oct 2022 92,421 miles

Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive engine oil weap (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Wheel bearing has slight play both front (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 16 Sep 2021 90,298 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Inner Drive shaft flexible coupling slightly deteriorated (6.1.7 (d) (i))

Nearside Rear Outer Drive shaft flexible coupling slightly deteriorated (6.1.7 (d) (i))

Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Drive shaft flexible coupling slightly deteriorated (6.1.7 (d) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive engine oil weap (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 21 Aug 2020 88,544 miles

Front Wheel bearing has slight play both front (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Rear Anti-roll bar ball joint has slight play both rears (5.3.4 (a) (i))

general corrosion to chassis

Pass 14 Sep 2019 86,621 miles

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

Offside Front shocker slightly leak

both front wheel bearings slightly play

chassis slightly rusty under car

Pass 17 Sep 2018 83,271 miles

all chassis rusty under car

both front tyres wear both edges

both rear anti roll bar links slightly play

both rear tyres 2mm

Fail 5 Sep 2018 82,906 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

all chassis rusty under car

both front tyres wear both edges

both rear anti roll bar links slightly play

both rear tyres 2mm

Pass 15 Sep 2017 77,657 miles

reg plates not standard

Fail 7 Sep 2017 77,580 miles

Offside Rear Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Steering rack gaiter twisted

Pass 8 Sep 2016 73,902 miles

Front tyres getting low 3mm

NS head lamp beam image poor/weak

Pass 9 Sep 2015 71,919 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

passenger seat base missing

Fail 9 Sep 2015 71,919 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

passenger seat base missing

Pass 10 Sep 2014 65,667 miles

slight free play at wheel

slight play from offside front wheel bearing

slight play on both inner rack joints

Fail 8 Sep 2014 65,574 miles

Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

slight free play at wheel

slight play from front wheel bearings

slight play on both inner rack joints

Pass 13 Sep 2013 60,287 miles

both front tyres are distorted and wearing unevenly. they are wearing close to the limit in places at 2.5mm

dampness around the nearside rear shocker

slight play from both front wheel bearings

vibration felt through the steering wheel at times

Fail 11 Sep 2013 60,287 miles

Driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. (6.2.A.3)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted) (2.2.A.1b)

Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

both front tyres are distorted and wearing unevenly. they are wearing close to the limit in places at 2.5mm

dampness around the nearside rear shocker

offside rack boot is perished at small end

slight play from both front wheel bearings

vibration felt through the steering wheel at times

Pass 6 Jul 2012 54,649 miles
Fail 30 Jun 2012 54,649 miles

Driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. (6.2.A.3)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

both front wheel bearings have slight play

due to the veichle i have carried out a non cat test

vibration felt through the steering at times

Pass 17 Jun 2011 50,917 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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

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

rear discs rusty

tracking required

Fail 17 Jun 2011 50,917 miles

Centre Exhaust has a part missing (7.1.1a)

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

rear discs rusty

tracking required

Pass 2 Jun 2010 45,199 miles
Fail 2 Jun 2010 45,199 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Windscreen washer control missing (8.2.1a)

nearside seat base was not fitted at time of test

offside rack boot is perished

slight play both front wheel bearings

Pass 15 Apr 2009 39,598 miles
Pass 14 Feb 2008 34,289 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2007 27,535 miles
Fail 27 Feb 2007 27,535 miles

Nearside Rear Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Pass 27 Jan 2006 22,852 miles

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

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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.

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P7 ACE is a 1996 Caterham Seven (S3) in Blue with a 1,699cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

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 P7 ACE, 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 P7 ACE?

You can check the full history of P7 ACE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P7 ACE registered?

P7 ACE is a 1996 Caterham Seven (S3), first registered on 19 October 1996.

Is P7 ACE safe to buy?

The MOT history for P7 ACE shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P7 ACE 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 P7 ACE. 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.