At a Glance
The Seat Altea has 16 identified common problems across 1 generation, with the Altea (2004-2015) being the most affected generation and tyres & wheels the most common problem category. Based on 362K 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 our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Seat Altea common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Seat Altea generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Seat Altea Generations
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Most Common Seat Altea MOT Failures
Every reason Seat Altea 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 | 9.59% |
| 2 | Tyre condition | 8.48% |
| 3 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 6.74% |
| 4 | Brake performance below minimum | 6.22% |
| 5 | Stop lamp not working | 5.89% |
| 6 | Driveshaft fault | 5.40% |
| 7 | Brake pads or linings worn | 5.15% |
| 8 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 4.64% |
| 9 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 4.64% |
| 10 | Number plate lamp not working | 4.13% |
| 11 | Windscreen washer not working | 3.67% |
| 12 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 2.89% |
| 13 | Position lamp not working | 2.80% |
| 14 | Ball joint dust cover split | 2.66% |
| 15 | Exhaust system fault | 2.46% |
| 16 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 2.08% |
| 17 | Airbag warning light on | 1.73% |
| 18 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.63% |
| 19 | Headlamp fault | 1.58% |
| 20 | Rear lamp not working | 1.38% |
| 21 | Headlamp aim defect | 1.13% |
| 22 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 1.08% |
| 23 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 1.05% |
| 24 | ABS fault | 0.96% |
| 25 | Indicator fault | 0.88% |
| 26 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 0.70% |
| 27 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.69% |
| 28 | Track rod end worn | 0.66% |
| 29 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.64% |
| 30 | Front lamp not working | 0.59% |
| 31 | Fog lamp not working | 0.54% |
| 32 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.49% |
| 33 | Horn not working | 0.48% |
| 34 | Seat belt condition | 0.37% |
| 35 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.36% |
| 36 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.34% |
| 37 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.32% |
| 38 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.30% |
| 39 | Rear suspension fault | 0.29% |
| 40 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.26% |
| 41 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 0.23% |
| 42 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.22% |
| 43 | Brake caliper fault | 0.18% |
| 44 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.16% |
| 45 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.15% |
| 46 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.15% |
| 47 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.15% |
| 48 | Steering rack fault | 0.14% |
| 49 | Front suspension fault | 0.12% |
| 50 | Parking brake condition | 0.12% |
| 51 | Brake lever fault | 0.12% |
| 52 | Electrical switch fault | 0.11% |
| 53 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.10% |
| 54 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.10% |
| 55 | Driver airbag fault | 0.09% |
| 56 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.09% |
| 57 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.08% |
| 58 | Front passenger door fault | 0.08% |
| 59 | Propshaft fault | 0.08% |
| 60 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.07% |
| 61 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.07% |
| 62 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.07% |
| 63 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.07% |
| 64 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.07% |
| 65 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.07% |
| 66 | Engine oil leak | 0.06% |
| 67 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.06% |
| 68 | Brake fluid leak | 0.06% |
| 69 | Reversing lamp not working | 0.06% |
| 70 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.06% |
| 71 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.06% |
| 72 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.05% |
| 73 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.05% |
| 74 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.05% |
| 75 | Brake pedal fault | 0.04% |
| 76 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | 0.04% |
| 77 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.04% |
| 78 | Driver door fault | 0.03% |
| 79 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.03% |
| 80 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.03% |
| 81 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.03% |
| 82 | Brake servo fault | 0.02% |
| 83 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.02% |
| 84 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | 0.02% |
| 85 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 86 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.02% |
| 87 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.02% |
| 88 | Suspension unit fault | 0.02% |
| 89 | Electric power steering fault | 0.02% |
| 90 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.02% |
| 91 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.02% |
| 92 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.01% |
| 93 | Exhaust leak | 0.01% |
| 94 | Passenger airbag fault | 0.01% |
| 95 | Drag link end worn | 0.01% |
| 96 | Steering operation fault | 0.01% |
| 97 | Chassis condition | 0.01% |
| 98 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.01% |
| 99 | Towbar fault | 0.01% |
| 100 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 101 | Passenger seat fault | <0.01% |
| 102 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 103 | Driver seat fault | <0.01% |
| 104 | Electronic braking system fault | <0.01% |
| 105 | Steering arm worn | <0.01% |
| 106 | Steering lock fault | <0.01% |
| 107 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 108 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | <0.01% |
| 109 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 110 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 111 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 112 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | <0.01% |
| 113 | Steering free play excessive | <0.01% |
| 114 | Headlamp washer not working | <0.01% |
| 115 | Bonded suspension condition | <0.01% |
| 116 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 117 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 118 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 119 | Body security fault | <0.01% |
| 120 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 121 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 122 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 123 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 124 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 125 | Front fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 126 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 127 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 128 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | <0.01% |
| 129 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 130 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 134 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 135 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | <0.01% |
| 136 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 138 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 141 | Spring mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 142 | Steering column fault | <0.01% |
| 143 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 145 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 146 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 147 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 148 | Daytime running lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 149 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 151 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 152 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 153 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 154 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 155 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 156 | Power steering pump fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Steering head bearings worn | <0.01% |
| 160 | Subframe mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 161 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 162 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 163 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
Showing all 163 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Seat Altea MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Seat Altea, 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 Altea problems?
Based on analysis of 362K Seat Altea MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 16 identified common problems across 1 generation. The most frequently flagged issue is "Coil spring broken or corroded". Tyres & Wheels is the most common problem category.
Which Seat Altea generation has the most problems?
The Seat Altea Altea (2004-2015) (2004–2015) has the highest number of identified common problems (22). Click the generation card above for the 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 Altea?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Seat Altea owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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