SEAT Ateca: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The SEAT Ateca passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 13 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 38,123 individual SEAT Ateca tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate89.7%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+13 points
Tests analysed38,123
Average mileage at test47,492 miles
Average year of manufacture2018
Reliability rank745 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 89.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 10 in every 100 SEAT Atecas 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 Ateca tested had covered 47,492 miles and was built around 2018.

What this means at salvage auction

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

Most common MOT failures on a SEAT Ateca

  1. Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended, 0.2% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this defect)
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.3% of tests
  3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.7% of tests
  4. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.5% of tests
  5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.6% of tests
  6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.6% of tests
  7. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.5% of tests
  8. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 0.4% of tests
  9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.4% of tests
  10. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.3% of tests

From 59,762 DVSA-tracked SEAT Ateca tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.49% of these flagged SEAT Ateca defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

SEAT Ateca 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 Ateca year:

SEAT Ateca 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 Ateca MOT pass rate badge: 89.7%

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate