The MOT Files

Model reliability file

Seat Tarraco MOT pass rate & common failures

From 10,107 recorded MOT tests of the Seat Tarraco, published by DVSA.

Data updated

Quick answer

Across 10,107 MOT tests, 84.8% of Seat Tarraco tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Seat Tarraco 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 27.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 46,287 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

84.8%unadjusted, not comparable10,107 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Tarraco. 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 10,107 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

  1. 1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements27.2%

    364 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

  2. 2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm17.5%

    234 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

  3. 3.A tyre seriously damaged17.1%

    228 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

  4. 4.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction13.1%

    175 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained

  5. 5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.8%

    118 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

  6. 6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.7%

    90 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

  7. 7.A tyre cords visible or damaged6.5%

    87 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained

  8. 8.Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator5.8%

    78 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

  9. 9.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction3.8%

    51 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained

  10. 10.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.2%

    43 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

  1. 1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements27.5%

    2,779 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

  2. 2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm15.7%

    1,586 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

  3. 3.A tyre seriously damaged13.3%

    1,347 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

  4. 4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured10.9%

    1,098 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

  5. 5.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt9.5%

    962 tests

  6. 6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.6%

    562 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

  7. 7.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage4.2%

    424 testsShock absorber defective explained

  8. 8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.0%

    406 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

What gets tested

The Tarraco fleet

Average mileage recorded at test
46,287

Across examples of every age, so this is a description of the fleet rather than an annual figure.

Fuel mix of tested cars
Petrol60.6%
Diesel39.4%
Trim names grouped into this model (36)

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

  • TARRACO FR ECOTSI S-A
  • TARRACO FR SPORT ECOTSI S-A
  • TARRACO FR SPORT TDI
  • TARRACO FR SPORT TDI 4DRIVE SA
  • TARRACO FR SPORT TDI S-A
  • TARRACO FR SPORT TSI
  • TARRACO FR SPORT TSI 4DRIVE SA
  • TARRACO FR SPORT TSI EVO
  • TARRACO FR SPORT TSI EVO S-A
  • TARRACO FR SPORT TSI S-A
  • TARRACO FR TDI
  • TARRACO FR TDI 4DRIVE S-A
  • TARRACO FR TDI S-A
  • TARRACO FR TSI
  • TARRACO FR TSI 4DRIVE S-A
  • TARRACO FR TSI EVO
  • TARRACO FR TSI EVO S-A
  • TARRACO FR TSI S-A
  • TARRACO SE ECOTSI
  • TARRACO SE TDI S-A
  • TARRACO SE TECH ECOTSI S-A
  • TARRACO SE TECH TSI EVO SA
  • TARRACO SE TECHNOLOGY ECOTSI
  • TARRACO SE TECHNOLOGY TDI S-A
  • TARRACO SE TSI EVO S-A
  • TARRACO X-LNC 1ST ED+TSI 4D SA
  • TARRACO X-LNC LUX TSI EVO SA
  • TARRACO XCELLENCE LUX TDI S-A
  • TARRACO XCELLENCE TDI S-A
  • TARRACO XCELLENCE TSI EVO S-A
  • TARRACO XPERIENCE ECOTSI
  • TARRACO XPERIENCE ECOTSI S-A
  • TARRACO XPERIENCE LUX TDI
  • TARRACO XPERIENCE LUX TDI S-A
  • TARRACO XPERIENCE TDI 4D S-A
  • TARRACO XPERIENCE TDI S-A

Check a specific Seat Tarraco

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

Spaces are optional

Compare within the range

Other Seat models

Common questions

How reliable is the Seat Tarraco compared with other cars?
We do not publish a comparison for the Seat Tarraco, 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 84.8% across 10,107 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 Seat Tarraco?
The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 27.2% of failed Seat Tarraco 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 Seat Tarraco?
The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.5% of all Seat Tarraco tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Seat Tarraco usually have at its MOT?
The average odometer reading recorded at test is 46,287 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 Seat Tarraco models petrol or diesel?
Of the Seat Tarraco cars tested, 61% are petrol, 39% are diesel. 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.

Further reading

Make sense of the numbers