How reliable is the Cupra Born compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Cupra Born, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 90.6% across 4,645 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Cupra Born?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 57.6% of failed Cupra Born tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Cupra Born?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 41.3% of all Cupra Born tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Cupra Born usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 27,586 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

Cupra Born MOT pass rate & common failures

From 4,645 recorded MOT tests of the Cupra Born, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 4,645 MOT tests, 90.6% of Cupra Born tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Cupra Born fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre cords visible or damaged, which appears in 57.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 27,586 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

90.6%unadjusted, not comparable4,645 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Born. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 4,645 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

Electric car

How the Born compares with other electric cars

At 3 to 5 years old the Cupra Born passes 90.6% of MOT tests, from 4,478 tests in that age band. Petrol and diesel cars of the same age pass 89.9%, so this model sits 0.7 points above that baseline. Among electric cars it ranks 8 of 43.

There is no emissions test for an electric car and the MOT does not check the battery. Electric cars as a group fail slightly more often than same-age petrol cars, almost entirely on tyres and suspension, because they are heavier and deliver full torque instantly.

Every electric car ranked, and what fails · What the MOT tests on an electric car

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Cupra Born tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre cords visible or damaged57.6%
213 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged34.3%
127 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements23.0%
85 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged5.4%
20 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction3.2%
12 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen3.0%
11 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen2.2%
8 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn1.9%
7 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
9.Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution1.9%
7 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
10.A tyre cords visible or damaged1.6%
6 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Cupra Born tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements41.3%
1,916 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements7.0%
325 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged2.6%
120 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged2.4%
112 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2.4%
111 tests
6.Nail in tyre2.2%
102 tests
7.Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution1.1%
53 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged0.8%
35 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Cupra Born

The 15 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

What gets tested

The Born fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 27,586
Fuel mix of tested cars: Electric100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (3)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

BORN V1 EV
BORN V2 EV
BORN V3 EV

Check a specific Cupra Born

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Cupra models

Cupra Formentor — 89.3% unadjusted
Cupra Leon — 84.5% unadjusted
Cupra Ateca — 89.1% unadjusted
All Cupra models

Common questions

How reliable is the Cupra Born compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Cupra Born, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 90.6% across 4,645 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Cupra Born?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 57.6% of failed Cupra Born tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Cupra Born?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 41.3% of all Cupra Born tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Cupra Born usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 27,586 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.