Diesel SEAT Arona: MOT pass rate

82.4% of diesel SEAT Aronas pass the MOT first time, measured across 5,245 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 45,793.

Diesel against the other SEAT Arona versions

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 Arona specifically, petrol is the strongest at 87.5%, and this diesel version sits 4.5 points below the 86.9% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel SEAT Arona fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel SEAT Arona had covered 45,793 miles at test, against 32,901 for the petrol. That is below average for a car this age, worth a mileage-consistency check since an unusually low reading is sometimes clocking rather than luck.

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 Arona page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel SEAT Arona

1. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.7% of tests (7.7x the national rate for this defect)
2. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1.1% of tests (2.97x the national rate for this defect)
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 4.1% of tests (1.93x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 0.6% of tests (1.9x the national rate for this defect)
5. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.4% of tests (1.78x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.3% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.2% of tests
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.1% of tests
9. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1% of tests
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.9% of tests

From 5,250 DVSA-tracked diesel SEAT Arona tests, 2024, split out from the SEAT Arona's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 9.29% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a diesel SEAT Arona

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1.3% of tests (1.57x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 23.9% of tests (1.55x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 18.5% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect), also fails
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 13.8% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this defect), also fails
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 22.3% of tests, also fails
6. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 3.5% of tests, also fails
7. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1.2% of tests
8. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.8% of tests
9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 0.7% of tests
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.6% of tests

From 5,250 DVSA-tracked diesel SEAT Arona tests, 2024.

Other SEAT Arona fuel types

• Petrol SEAT Arona - 87.5%

All SEAT Arona MOT data · Every model