SEAT Alhambra: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The SEAT Alhambra passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 27,594 individual SEAT Alhambra tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 77.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 22 in every 100 SEAT Alhambras presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average SEAT Alhambra tested had covered 98,166 miles and was built around 2015.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a SEAT Alhambra bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific SEAT Alhambra rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged SEAT Alhambras actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a SEAT Alhambra

1. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 3.8% of tests (3.14x the national rate for this defect)
2. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 1.7% of tests (2.07x the national rate for this defect)
3. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1% of tests (2.01x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6.6% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
5. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.4% of tests (1.49x the national rate for this defect)
6. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.7% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.4% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.7% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect)
9. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.5% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.1% of tests

From 38,747 DVSA-tracked SEAT Alhambra tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.32% of these flagged SEAT Alhambra defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

SEAT Alhambra pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each SEAT Alhambra year:

• 2003 SEAT Alhambra - 54.6% first-time pass, 205 tests
• 2004 SEAT Alhambra - 57.2% first-time pass, 339 tests
• 2005 SEAT Alhambra - 58.1% first-time pass, 265 tests
• 2006 SEAT Alhambra - 59.5% first-time pass, 343 tests
• 2007 SEAT Alhambra - 53.9% first-time pass, 421 tests
• 2008 SEAT Alhambra - 56.1% first-time pass, 472 tests
• 2009 SEAT Alhambra - 52.3% first-time pass, 331 tests
• 2010 SEAT Alhambra - 64.2% first-time pass, 355 tests
• 2011 SEAT Alhambra - 69.9% first-time pass, 1,209 tests
• 2012 SEAT Alhambra - 69.6% first-time pass, 1,417 tests
• 2013 SEAT Alhambra - 72.4% first-time pass, 1,542 tests
• 2014 SEAT Alhambra - 76.5% first-time pass, 1,856 tests
• 2015 SEAT Alhambra - 78.5% first-time pass, 2,162 tests
• 2016 SEAT Alhambra - 81.7% first-time pass, 4,180 tests
• 2017 SEAT Alhambra - 83.7% first-time pass, 5,991 tests
• 2018 SEAT Alhambra - 86.1% first-time pass, 2,539 tests
• 2019 SEAT Alhambra - 86.4% first-time pass, 2,737 tests
• 2020 SEAT Alhambra - 86.9% first-time pass, 826 tests

SEAT Alhambra by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Diesel SEAT Alhambra - 78.3% first-time pass, 26,738 tests
• Petrol SEAT Alhambra - 79.2% first-time pass, 659 tests

Other SEAT models

• SEAT Ibiza - 71.3%
• SEAT Leon - 79.5%
• SEAT Arona - 86.6%
• SEAT Ateca - 89.7%
• SEAT Mii - 82.1%
• SEAT Altea - 65.9%
• SEAT Tarraco - 86.6%
• SEAT Toledo - 73.9%

Models with a similar pass rate

• DS Ds5 - 77.9%
• Citroen Berlingo 1000 Driver Bluehdi - 77.9%
• MINI Countryman Cooper D - 77.9%
• MINI MINI (R58) - 77.7%
• Maxus E Deliver 3 - 77.7%
• Jeep Cherokee - 77.6%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate