At a Glance
Seat has 134 identified common problems across 21 models, with the Inca being the most affected model and electrical the most common problem category. Based on 6.8M MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read how we identify common car problems →
Below: per-model breakdowns of Seat common problems, MOT failure rates by category, pass-rate data, and repair patterns drawn from 6.8M DVSA MOT tests across 20 years. Click any model to see generation-specific issues, mileage-banded fault patterns, and the most common MOT failures recorded by UK testers.
MOT Tests & Failures by Model
Top Seat models by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that model's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Seat Common Problems by Model
Select a model to see problems by generation
Showing top 9 by MOT test volume — search to find any of 21 Seat models.
Ibiza
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Leon
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Alhambra
Most common: Suspension
Altea
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Arosa
Most common: Brakes
Toledo
Most common: Brakes
Ateca
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Arona
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Mii
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Most Common Seat MOT Failures
Every reason Seat vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 9.51% |
| 2 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 7.13% |
| 3 | Tyre condition | 6.88% |
| 4 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 6.17% |
| 5 | Brake performance below minimum | 5.35% |
| 6 | Stop lamp not working | 4.75% |
| 7 | Number plate lamp not working | 4.48% |
| 8 | Windscreen washer not working | 4.05% |
| 9 | Exhaust system fault | 3.65% |
| 10 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 3.51% |
| 11 | Driveshaft fault | 3.47% |
| 12 | Brake pads or linings worn | 3.35% |
| 13 | Front lamp not working | 2.48% |
| 14 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 2.33% |
| 15 | Ball joint dust cover split | 2.13% |
| 16 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.06% |
| 17 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 2.04% |
| 18 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 1.83% |
| 19 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.82% |
| 20 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 1.67% |
| 21 | Position lamp not working | 1.66% |
| 22 | Track rod end worn | 1.55% |
| 23 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 1.47% |
| 24 | Headlamp fault | 1.47% |
| 25 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.92% |
| 26 | Rear lamp not working | 0.90% |
| 27 | Airbag warning light on | 0.90% |
| 28 | Indicator fault | 0.73% |
| 29 | Parking brake condition | 0.60% |
| 30 | Rear suspension fault | 0.55% |
| 31 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.54% |
| 32 | ABS fault | 0.53% |
| 33 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.47% |
| 34 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.43% |
| 35 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.42% |
| 36 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.42% |
| 37 | Fog lamp not working | 0.39% |
| 38 | Steering rack fault | 0.39% |
| 39 | Seat belt condition | 0.38% |
| 40 | Horn not working | 0.38% |
| 41 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.31% |
| 42 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.30% |
| 43 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.29% |
| 44 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.28% |
| 45 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.26% |
| 46 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.24% |
| 47 | Front suspension fault | 0.24% |
| 48 | Brake lever fault | 0.22% |
| 49 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.20% |
| 50 | Chassis condition | 0.20% |
| 51 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.19% |
| 52 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.18% |
| 53 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.17% |
| 54 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.15% |
| 55 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.12% |
| 56 | Brake caliper fault | 0.12% |
| 57 | Brake fluid leak | 0.12% |
| 58 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.11% |
| 59 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.11% |
| 60 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.11% |
| 61 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.10% |
| 62 | Brake pedal fault | 0.09% |
| 63 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.09% |
| 64 | Electrical switch fault | 0.08% |
| 65 | Front passenger door fault | 0.08% |
| 66 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.07% |
| 67 | Reversing lamp not working | 0.07% |
| 68 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.06% |
| 69 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.06% |
| 70 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.06% |
| 71 | Driver door fault | 0.06% |
| 72 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.06% |
| 73 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.06% |
| 74 | Steering arm worn | 0.06% |
| 75 | Engine oil leak | 0.05% |
| 76 | Driver airbag fault | 0.05% |
| 77 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.05% |
| 78 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.05% |
| 79 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.05% |
| 80 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.05% |
| 81 | Steering free play excessive | 0.04% |
| 82 | Propshaft fault | 0.04% |
| 83 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.04% |
| 84 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.04% |
| 85 | Drag link end worn | 0.04% |
| 86 | Passenger seat fault | 0.04% |
| 87 | Electric power steering fault | 0.04% |
| 88 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.03% |
| 89 | Steering operation fault | 0.03% |
| 90 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.03% |
| 91 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.03% |
| 92 | Steering column fault | 0.03% |
| 93 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.03% |
| 94 | Driver seat fault | 0.03% |
| 95 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | 0.03% |
| 96 | Body security fault | 0.02% |
| 97 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 98 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | 0.02% |
| 99 | Headlamp washer not working | 0.02% |
| 100 | CV joint worn | 0.02% |
| 101 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.01% |
| 102 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.01% |
| 103 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.01% |
| 104 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.01% |
| 105 | Spring mounting corroded | 0.01% |
| 106 | Steering lock fault | 0.01% |
| 107 | Power steering ram fault | 0.01% |
| 108 | Brake servo fault | 0.01% |
| 109 | Power steering pump fault | 0.01% |
| 110 | Suspension unit fault | 0.01% |
| 111 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.01% |
| 112 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.01% |
| 113 | Front fog lamp not working | 0.01% |
| 114 | Exhaust leak | 0.01% |
| 115 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 116 | King pin or swivel pin worn | <0.01% |
| 117 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 118 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 119 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 120 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 121 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 122 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 123 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 124 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 126 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 127 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 128 | Daytime running lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 129 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Electronic braking system fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Load sensing valve fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Towbar fault | <0.01% |
| 134 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 135 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 137 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 138 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 139 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 141 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 142 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 143 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 144 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 145 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 147 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 148 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 149 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 151 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 152 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 153 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 154 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 156 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 158 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Anchor bracket corroded | <0.01% |
| 160 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 161 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 162 | Brake linkage mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 163 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 165 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 166 | Leaf spring shackle bracket corroded | <0.01% |
| 167 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 168 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 169 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 170 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 171 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 172 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 173 | Leaf spring eye worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 174 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 175 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 176 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 177 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 178 | Suspension coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 179 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 180 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 181 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 182 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 183 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 184 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 185 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 186 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 187 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 188 | Securing bolts missing or insecure | <0.01% |
| 189 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 190 | Suspension air bellows damaged | <0.01% |
| 191 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 192 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 193 | Dropside damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 194 | Seat belt load limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 195 | Hydraulic suspension accumulator fault | <0.01% |
| 196 | Spring saddle corroded | <0.01% |
| 197 | Steering head bearings worn | <0.01% |
| 198 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 199 | Air suspension levelling valve fault | <0.01% |
| 200 | Cab corrosion or damage | <0.01% |
| 201 | Chain drive fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 201 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Seat MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for Seat, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Seat problems?
Based on analysis of 6.8M Seat MOT tests from DVSA data, Seat has 134 identified common problems across 21 models. The Seat Inca has the most recorded problems. Electrical issues are the most common category.
Which Seat model has the most problems?
By total identified common problems, the Seat Inca has the highest count with 46 problems. This is partly because it is one of the more popular Seat models on UK roads. See the models grid for a full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Seat?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Seat owners spot problems early. We review all submissions before they are published.
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