SEAT Inca MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

SEAT Inca MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The SEAT Inca passed on its first attempt in 60.3%, and its overall record sits −12.1 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the SEAT Inca in the 2023–2025 data: 466 tests across 3 model years (2001–2003). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common SEAT Inca MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the SEAT Inca, the Body, chassis, structure section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the SEAT Inca's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded SEAT Inca DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the SEAT Inca, each with how many of the model's 466 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 41 SEAT Inca tests, 8.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 33 SEAT Inca tests, 7.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 26 SEAT Inca tests, 5.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Service brake imbalance across an axle" (Major) — noted on about 23 SEAT Inca tests, 4.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 21 SEAT Inca tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (Major) — noted on about 18 SEAT Inca tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst SEAT Inca Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest SEAT Inca model year on record is 2002 (69.1% across 246 tests), and the weakest is 2001 (68.6%). The gap between them is 0.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for SEAT Inca Owners

These checks follow this SEAT Inca's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a SEAT Inca.

• 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 lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the exhaust and emissions — “exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the SEAT Inca. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: SEAT Inca MOT & Reliability