SEAT Arona: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The SEAT Arona passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 9.9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 41,107 individual SEAT Arona tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate86.6%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+9.9 points
Tests analysed41,107
Average mileage at test33,960 miles
Average year of manufacture2019
Reliability rank1,126 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 86.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 13 in every 100 SEAT Aronas 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 Arona tested had covered 33,960 miles and was built around 2019.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a SEAT Arona 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 Arona 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 Aronas actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a SEAT Arona

  1. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3% of tests (5.41x the national rate for this defect)
  2. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.7% of tests (2.46x the national rate for this defect)
  3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.2% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)
  4. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.8% of tests (1.34x the national rate for this defect)
  5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 0.3% of tests (1.34x the national rate for this defect)
  6. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.5% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this defect)
  7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.3% of tests
  8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1% of tests
  9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.6% of tests
  10. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 0.3% of tests

From 63,233 DVSA-tracked SEAT Arona tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 7.26% of these flagged SEAT Arona defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

SEAT Arona 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 Arona year:

SEAT Arona by fuel type

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

Other SEAT models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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SEAT Arona MOT pass rate badge: 86.6%

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate