Make overview
Seat MOT pass rates by model
Data updated
Quick answer
Seat cars pass 74.0% of MOT tests across 561,278 recorded tests, against a national average of 72.3%. Of the 12 Seat models with MOT data, the Leon has the highest age-adjusted pass rate at 75.3% and the Ibiza the lowest at 66.6%. The item recorded most often on a failed Seat is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements.
- Tests analysed
- 561,278
- Adjusted pass rate
- 71.1%
- Models with data
- 12
Adjusted for age and mileage
Seat models ranked by pass rate
| Model | Adjusted pass rate | National rank | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Leon | 75.3% | 105 of 262 | 183,541 |
| Seat Mii | 74.3% | 118 of 262 | 18,638 |
| Seat Alhambra | 73.2% | 133 of 262 | 25,949 |
| Seat Toledo | 66.8% | 207 of 262 | 5,312 |
| Seat Ibiza | 66.6% | 209 of 262 | 190,085 |
Unadjusted, not ranked
Other Seat models with MOT data
These models have at least 500 recorded tests, but their tested examples do not span enough ages and mileages to rank fairly. Their failure and advisory patterns are still drawn from real tests.
| Model | Unadjusted pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Arona | 84.2% | 57,243 |
| Seat Ateca | 87.9% | 52,149 |
| Seat Altea | 59.2% | 11,142 |
| Seat Tarraco | 84.8% | 10,107 |
| Seat Exeo | 62.0% | 4,292 |
| Seat Arosa | 56.8% | 1,698 |
| Seat Altea XL | 57.7% | 1,122 |
Across the range
What Seat cars fail on most
Share of failed Seat tests recording each item, summed across every model above.
- 1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.5%
- 2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened14.0%
- 3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.3%
- 4.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage10.3%
- 5.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.0%
- 6.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.9%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate for Seat?
- Across 561,278 recorded MOT tests, 74.0% of Seat tests ended in a pass, against a national average of 72.3%. Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the figure is 71.1%. A make-level figure blends very different cars, so the individual model pages are the more useful comparison.
- Which Seat is the most reliable on MOT evidence?
- Of the Seat models with enough data to compare fairly, the Leon has the highest age-and-mileage-adjusted pass rate at 75.3%, ranking 105 of 262 models nationally. This reflects how often cars meet the MOT standard, not how often they break down.
- What do Seat cars most often fail their MOT on?
- The most commonly recorded failure item across Seat tests is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", appearing in 15.5% of failed tests. One failed test can list several items, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
- Why do some Seat models not have a pass rate ranking?
- A model is only ranked when its tested examples cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages for a fair comparison. 5 of the 12 Seat models here qualify. For the rest we publish the unadjusted rate and the failure patterns, but not a rank, because comparing unadjusted rates mostly sorts cars by how new they are.
How to read these figures
Why the adjusted rate is the fair one
An unadjusted pass rate is strongly driven by the age and mileage of the cars being tested, not by how well they were built. A model bought mainly as a lightly used second car will look better than an identical car sold to high-mileage drivers. Adjusting for age and mileage compares each model against cars that have lived a similar life.
For a specific car, its own record beats any model average — check that vehicle’s MOT history and read what testers actually recorded against it.
Check any vehicle's MOT history
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