Pass rate, every year
91.0% Above average
131,283 tests across 8 model years, 2016–2023.
+10.0 pts vs the national average
SEAT Ateca MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2022 92.3%
The strongest of the 8 years on record. See the 2022 page →
Worst year to buy
2016 90.0%
2.3 points below the 2022 peak. See the 2016 page →
The SEAT Ateca MOT pass rate is 91.0%, +10.0 percentage points above the UK average. That is 131,283 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2016 and 2023. This page lists the most common SEAT Ateca 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 Ateca MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
SEAT Ateca MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The SEAT Ateca passed on its first attempt in 90.2%, and its overall record sits +10.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the SEAT Ateca in the 2023–2025 data: 131,283 tests across 8 model years (2016–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 131,283 |
| Overall pass rate | 91.0% |
| Passed on first attempt | 90.2% |
| Average mileage at test | 42,925 mi |
| Model years covered | 2016–2023 (8 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +10.0 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common SEAT Ateca MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the SEAT Ateca, the Visibility 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 |
|---|---|
| Visibility | 34% |
| Tyres | 31% |
| Brakes | 16% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8% |
| Suspension | 7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0% |
Shares are over the SEAT Ateca's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Visibility
Around 34% of the recorded SEAT Ateca failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.8%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.7%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.5%) among the SEAT Ateca's visibility faults.
Tyres
Around 31% of the recorded SEAT Ateca failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.4%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.2%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.2%) among the SEAT Ateca's tyres faults.
Brakes
Around 16% of the recorded SEAT Ateca failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (1.2%), "Brake discs significantly and obviously worn" (0.2%), "Brake pads worn down to wear indicator" (0.0%) among the SEAT Ateca's brakes faults.
Top Recorded SEAT Ateca DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the SEAT Ateca, each with how many of the model's 131,283 tests it was noted on.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 2,410 SEAT Ateca tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
- "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 1,791 SEAT Ateca tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 1,616 SEAT Ateca 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 1,513 SEAT Ateca tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 878 SEAT Ateca tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
- "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 642 SEAT Ateca tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.
What Ateca 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection | 5.9% | 2.1% | 2.8× | £20–£80 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (131,283 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 Ateca 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 Ateca Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest SEAT Ateca model year on record is 2022 (92.3% across 2,341 tests), and the weakest is 2016 (90.0%). The gap between them is 2.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Ateca | 304 | 91.8% |
| 2022 Ateca | 2,341 | 92.3% |
| 2021 Ateca | 8,004 | 90.5% |
| 2020 Ateca | 19,288 | 92.1% |
| 2019 Ateca | 34,585 | 91.9% |
| 2018 Ateca | 29,198 | 90.3% |
| 2017 Ateca | 31,358 | 90.2% |
| 2016 Ateca | 6,205 | 90.0% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for SEAT Ateca Owners
These checks follow this SEAT Ateca's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a SEAT Ateca.
-
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.
-
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
-
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.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the SEAT Ateca. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: SEAT Ateca MOT & Reliability
What is the SEAT Ateca MOT pass rate?
91.0% of the 131,283 recorded SEAT Ateca MOT tests ended in a pass, +10.0 percentage points above the national average. 90.2% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which SEAT Ateca model years pass the MOT most often?
2022 is the strongest SEAT Ateca year on record at 92.3%, while 2016 is the weakest at 90.0%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common SEAT Ateca MOT failures?
The most recorded SEAT Ateca failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.