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Q880RAE

1990 Caterham Seven (S3)

Green Petrol 1691cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires29 Jul 2026
Tests21 (13 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate61.9%

Mileage

72,402 mi
Last recorded72,402 miles
Recorded on30 Jul 2025
Typical for 1990 Caterham Seven (S3)25,735 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Caterham
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationQ880RAE
MakeCaterham
ModelSeven (S3)
Year1990
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,691cc

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

13 pass 8 fail
Pass 30 Jul 2025 72,402 miles
Pass 28 Apr 2021 71,855 miles
Fail 20 Apr 2021 71,855 miles

Headlamp not working on dipped beam both sides of vehicle (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Headlamp not working on main beam both sides of vehicle. (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Offside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Offside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Coolant leak radiator top hose. ()

Pass 27 Apr 2016 70,827 miles

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Road wheel slightly damaged (4.2.A.1a)

Fail 27 Apr 2016 70,827 miles

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

Rear registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Rear registration plate letter/figure incomplete (6.3.1c)

rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Road wheel slightly damaged (4.2.A.1a)

Pass 30 Apr 2015 70,001 miles

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

Fail 30 Apr 2015 70,001 miles

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

Steering column movement between the shaft and steering wheel (2.1.2b)

Pass 10 Apr 2014 68,963 miles
Fail 7 Apr 2014 68,963 miles

Battery insecure (1.9.1)

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a) DANGEROUS

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a) DANGEROUS

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

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2) DANGEROUS

Pass 25 Sep 2012 87,807 miles

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

noise from o/s/r. brake.

slight play in both front anti-roll-bar "D" bushes.

Pass 15 Sep 2011 66,397 miles

both rear brake backplates damp.

n/s/f. upper suspension arm inner bush slight wear,

steerin g rack pinion appears to have slight movement???

Fail 12 Sep 2011 66,397 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (3.3.A.1b)

Driver's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Nearside Front Lower Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

both rear brake backplates damp.

n/s/f. upper suspension arm inner bush slight wear,

steerin g rack pinion appears to have slight movement???

Pass 16 Jul 2010 63,210 miles

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

fan belt incorrectly fitted and screeming.

slight damage to front number plate.

slight play in n/s. steering rack end joint area.

slight play in steering column slide joint under bonnet.

Fail 13 Jul 2010 63,094 miles

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

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

fan belt incorrectly fitted and screeming.

slight damage to front number plate.

slight play in n/s. steering rack end joint area.

slight play in steering column slide joint under bonnet.

Pass 21 Jul 2009 58,198 miles

o/s wiper blade has very small split.

o/s/r tyre has a small amount of side wall damage.

Pass 7 Aug 2008 53,609 miles
Fail 6 Aug 2008 53,609 miles

Brake pedal anti-slip provision loose (3.3.A.1b)

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

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

Coolant leak

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content excessive (7.3.B.1b)

Exhaust emits blue smoke during acceleration (7.3.A.2c)

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

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

Nearside Rear Lower Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear Lower Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Oil leak

n/s/r lower damper mounting on axle bent around previous repair

spare wheel slightly loose

Pass 17 Aug 2007 50,379 miles
Fail 18 Jul 2007 50,367 miles

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

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

rear dampers noisy and sqeaking

Pass 6 Jul 2006 46,584 miles
Pass 19 Jul 2005 43,297 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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Q880RAE is a 1990 Caterham Seven (S3) in Green with a 1,691cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.9%.

Across all 1990 Caterham Seven (S3) models, the average MOT pass rate is 84.5% with a typical mileage of 25,735 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 Q880RAE, 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 36 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 Q880RAE?

You can check the full history of Q880RAE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was Q880RAE registered?

Q880RAE is a 1990 Caterham Seven (S3), first registered on 15 May 1990.

Is Q880RAE safe to buy?

The MOT history for Q880RAE shows 21 tests with a 61.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does Q880RAE 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 Q880RAE. 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.