Diesel SEAT Altea: MOT pass rate

67.4% of diesel SEAT Alteas pass the MOT first time, measured across 10,949 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 112,430.

Diesel against the other SEAT Altea versions

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Diesel 67.4% 10,949
Petrol 61.1% 2,250
All SEAT Altea66.3%13,199

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the SEAT Altea specifically, diesel is the strongest at 67.4%, and this diesel version sits 1.1 points above the 66.3% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel SEAT Altea is the stronger side of this model on MOT data. Still judge the individual car, but the fuel type is a mild point in its favour. Check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel SEAT Altea had covered 112,430 miles at test, against 99,850 for the petrol. That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the SEAT Altea page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Other SEAT Altea fuel types

All SEAT Altea MOT data · Every model