The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Seat Alhambra common problems

What fails on the Seat Alhambra at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 25,949 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Seat Alhambra's most common MOT problems are tyres, suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, recorded in 53.1%, 46.6% and 13.6% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2019 cars pass most often (84.5%) and 2011 cars least (65.3%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Seat Alhambra that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 25,949 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Alhambra

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Seat Alhambra tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    53.1% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained22.5%
    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained15.7%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained10.9%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained2.4%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Suspension bushes

    46.6% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained30.9%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained7.2%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained2.6%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained2.5%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  3. 3.Bulbs and lamps

    13.6% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained5.3%
    • “A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained4.7%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained1.9%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained1.6%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  4. 4.Coil springs

    9.8% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained9.8%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

  5. 5.Engine management

    9.4% of failed tests

    The MIL lamp lit is a failure in itself, whatever the stored code; the fault codes section explains what lies behind it.

    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained6.5%
    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained2.9%

  6. 6.Brake pads and shoes

    8.4% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained8.4%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long brake pads and shoes last

  7. 7.Wiper blades and washers

    7.8% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained4.3%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.8%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.7%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  8. 8.Suspension arms and mountings

    5.8% of failed tests

    Arms bend on impact and mountings corrode into the body; a corroded mounting is a structural item and fails as one.

    • “The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired” — explained5.8%

By registration year

Alhambra problems by year

MOT pass rate for Seat Alhambra cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2015, up 4.0 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201165%
201266%+0.3
201367%+1.2
201470%+2.7
201574%+4.0
201677%+3.6
201780%+2.5
201881%+1.7
201985%+3.1

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Alhambra owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Seat Alhambra tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the Alhambra file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Seat Alhambra?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 53.1% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 46.6% of failed tests), and bulbs and lamps (recorded in 13.6% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 25,949 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Seat Alhambra year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Seat Alhambra cars registered in 2019 do best at 84.5% and 2011 cars do worst at 65.3%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2015, up 4.0 points on 2014.
Is the Seat Alhambra reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Seat Alhambra passes 73.2% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Seat Alhambra?
Start with what fails most: tyres, suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of