In the United Kingdom
106 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 156 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 191 of these cars first registered in 1997 took their annual MOT test. 84% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1997 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 7.9% | 11.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.1% | 16.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.1% | 7.2% |
| Tyres | 3.1% | 3.7% |
| Visibility | 3.1% | 6.6% |
| Suspension | 2.6% | 12.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In New Zealand
6 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 83% arrived as used imports, 17% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SIX CYLINDER AND TWELVE CYLINDER VARIANTS. THE STEERING COLUMN LIGHTING SWITCH GEAR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRAP WIRES, LEADING TO A PARTIAL LOSS OF LIGHTING FUNCTIONALITY.
THE LOW BRAKE FLUID LEVEL WARNING LAMP DOES NOT ILLUMINATE DURING THE IGNITION ON, BULB TEST PERIOD.
THE FRONT SEAT BELT WARNING CHIME DOES NOT SOUND WITH THE SEAT BELT UNBUCKLED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Aston Martin told its dealers about the 1997 Aston Martin DB7: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10226734 | Phased Launch of Bosch MTS 6531 VCI Unit |
| 10183740 | We have introduced a new special tool 43-28335 Docking Station Bezel Release Tool. |
| 10183737 | The reason for this policy letter is to give you information that was not available before, when body repair policy BPL-01-0021 "Change of Paint Supplier" was published. |
| 10171855 | Crankshaft Sensor - High RPM Test |
| 10165858 | Welcome to Technical Hub V2 |
| 10165856 | Customer Handover Checklist |
| 10161683 | Recommended Engine Oils for V8 and V12 Naturally Aspirated Engines |
| 10158158 | Welcome to Technical Hub |
| 10158157 | The Introduction of Tech Hub and Spotlight |
| 10154955 | Parts return requests PRRs |
| 10154954 | Technical Assessments launched on the training academy |
| 10154214 | Instructions for the ATEQ TPMS / RKE Tool |
| 10146088 | Aftermarket dash camera questionnaire |
| 10146087 | To inform about the changes we are making to Technical Training along with the introduction of the 3 tier Technician grading system |
| 10146082 | Deployable Spoiler wear inspection - annual check required. |
| 10145035 | Introduction of a remanufactured long-block V8 engine |
| 10145034 | EPDR Submission process update to existing SPL-30-0458 |
| 10129543 | 2018 Technical Training Update. |
| 10129542 | New electrical content and HTML5 upgrade for Cortona 3D content on the dealer communication system (DCS). |
| 10129541 | Client Services Department Team Update. |
| 10129540 | Reminder to do OBD In-use Monitoring with AMDS. |
| 10129536 | Procedure to repair the door latch assembly. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)