Pass rate, every year
88.3% Above average
132,355 tests across 7 model years, 2017–2023.
+7.3 pts vs the national average
SEAT Arona MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2022 92.3%
The strongest of the 7 years on record. See the 2022 page →
Worst year to buy
2017 79.3%
13.0 points below the 2022 peak. See the 2017 page →
The SEAT Arona MOT pass rate is 88.3%, +7.3 percentage points above the UK average. That is 132,355 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2017 and 2023. This page lists the most common SEAT Arona MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
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MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how SEAT Arona MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
SEAT Arona MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The SEAT Arona passed on its first attempt in 86.8%, and its overall record sits +7.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the SEAT Arona in the 2023–2025 data: 132,355 tests across 7 model years (2017–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 132,355 |
| Overall pass rate | 88.3% |
| Passed on first attempt | 86.8% |
| Average mileage at test | 32,659 mi |
| Model years covered | 2017–2023 (7 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +7.3 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common SEAT Arona MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the SEAT Arona, the Steering section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Steering | 48% |
| Brakes | 20% |
| Tyres | 17% |
| Visibility | 13% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0% |
| Suspension | 0% |
Shares are over the SEAT Arona's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Steering
Around 48% of the recorded SEAT Arona failures fall in the Steering section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (4.0%), "Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of…" (2.2%), "Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (0.4%) among the SEAT Arona's steering faults.
Brakes
Around 20% of the recorded SEAT Arona failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (1.4%), "Brake discs significantly and obviously worn" (0.7%), "Service brake performance excessively fluctuating" (0.6%) among the SEAT Arona's brakes faults.
Tyres
Around 17% of the recorded SEAT Arona failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.2%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (0.8%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.2%) among the SEAT Arona's tyres faults.
Top Recorded SEAT Arona DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the SEAT Arona, each with how many of the model's 132,355 tests it was noted on.
- "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (Minor) — noted on about 5,293 SEAT Arona tests, 4.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of…" (Major) — noted on about 2,976 SEAT Arona tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 1,900 SEAT Arona tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,631 SEAT Arona tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 1,630 SEAT Arona tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 1,082 SEAT Arona tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
What Arona fails on more than most
1 failure item is recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Track rod end dust cover damaged | 4.0% | 0.7% | 5.7× | £18–£45 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (132,355 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Arona records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
Best and Worst SEAT Arona Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest SEAT Arona model year on record is 2022 (92.3% across 2,694 tests), and the weakest is 2017 (79.3%). The gap between them is 13.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
SEAT Arona reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Arona | 194 | 92.3% |
| 2022 Arona | 2,694 | 92.3% |
| 2021 Arona | 7,321 | 91.8% |
| 2020 Arona | 32,460 | 91.1% |
| 2019 Arona | 46,827 | 89.4% |
| 2018 Arona | 40,633 | 84.3% |
| 2017 Arona | 2,226 | 79.3% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for SEAT Arona Owners
These checks follow this SEAT Arona's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a SEAT Arona.
-
the suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated,”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
the brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”
Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.
-
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the SEAT Arona. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: SEAT Arona MOT & Reliability
What is the SEAT Arona MOT pass rate?
88.3% of the 132,355 recorded SEAT Arona MOT tests ended in a pass, +7.3 percentage points above the national average. 86.8% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which SEAT Arona model years pass the MOT most often?
2022 is the strongest SEAT Arona year on record at 92.3%, while 2017 is the weakest at 79.3%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common SEAT Arona MOT failures?
The most recorded SEAT Arona failures are "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" and "Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of…" — together around 6% of tests, mostly in the Steering section.