How reliable is the Cupra Formentor compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Cupra Formentor, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 89.3% across 15,473 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 Formentor?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 31.6% of failed Cupra Formentor 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 Formentor?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.0% of all Cupra Formentor tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 30,987 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.

Are most Cupra Formentor models petrol or diesel?

Of the Cupra Formentor cars tested, 82% are petrol, 18% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Cupra Formentor MOT pass rate & common failures

From 15,473 recorded MOT tests of the Cupra Formentor, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 15,473 MOT tests, 89.3% of Cupra Formentor tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Cupra Formentor 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 tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 31.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 30,987 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

89.3%unadjusted, not comparable15,473 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Formentor. 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 15,473 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements31.6%
454 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage26.9%
387 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged22.8%
327 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.1%
116 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.7%
111 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
6.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction6.1%
88 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.9%
70 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen4.5%
65 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen4.5%
65 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction4.3%
62 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Cupra Formentor 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 requirements23.0%
3,554 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage13.1%
2,033 testsShock absorber defective explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged9.1%
1,407 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.6%
1,168 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured6.0%
923 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.5%
543 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2.8%
436 tests
8.Nail in tyre2.7%
411 tests

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Cupra Formentor

The 23 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 Formentor fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 30,987
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol82.3%
Hybrid17.7%

Trim names grouped into this model (14)

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

FORMENTOR V1 PHEV S-A
FORMENTOR V1 TSI
FORMENTOR V1 TSI 4DRIVE S-A
FORMENTOR V1 TSI S-A
FORMENTOR V2 PHEV S-A
FORMENTOR V2 TSI
FORMENTOR V2 TSI 4DRIVE S-A
FORMENTOR V2 TSI S-A
FORMENTOR VZ1 PHEV S-A
FORMENTOR VZ1 TSI EVO S-A
FORMENTOR VZ2 PHEV S-A
FORMENTOR VZ2 TSI 4DRIVE S-A
FORMENTOR VZ2 TSI EVO S-A
FORMENTOR VZ3 TSI 4DRIVE S-A

Check a specific Cupra Formentor

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

Compare within the range

Other Cupra models

Cupra Born — 90.6% unadjusted
Cupra Leon — 84.5% unadjusted
Cupra Ateca — 89.1% unadjusted
All Cupra models

Common questions

How reliable is the Cupra Formentor compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Cupra Formentor, 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 89.3% across 15,473 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 Formentor?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 31.6% of failed Cupra Formentor 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 Formentor?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.0% of all Cupra Formentor tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Cupra Formentor usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 30,987 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.
Are most Cupra Formentor models petrol or diesel?: Of the Cupra Formentor cars tested, 82% are petrol, 18% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

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.