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

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. The SEAT Ateca sits 13 points above the national average, ranked 745 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 recorded closing bids for damaged SEAT Atecas 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 (1.43x the national rate for this defect)
2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.2% of tests
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.4% of tests
4. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.2% of tests
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.8% of tests
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.8% of tests
7. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.7% of tests
8. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.5% of tests
9. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 0.5% of tests
10. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.4% of tests

From 38,085 DVSA-tracked SEAT Ateca tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.73% of these flagged SEAT Ateca defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a SEAT Ateca

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a SEAT Ateca before it actually fails on it.

1. Brake fluid significantly below minimum mark, 0.3% of tests (4.38x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Brake fluid below minimum mark, 0.2% of tests (4.23x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 8.2% of tests (2.11x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 16.4% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 27.7% of tests, also fails
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 16.9% of tests, also fails
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 11% of tests
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 4.2% of tests, also fails
9. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.9% of tests
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1.7% of tests

From 38,085 DVSA-tracked SEAT Ateca tests, 2024.

SEAT Ateca pass rate by model year

From its 2016 to its 2021 model year, the SEAT Ateca's first-time pass rate has risen 0.3 points, from 88.8% to 89.1%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each SEAT Ateca year:

• 2016 SEAT Ateca - 88.8% first-time pass, 1,888 tests
• 2017 SEAT Ateca - 88.8% first-time pass, 9,653 tests
• 2018 SEAT Ateca - 88.8% first-time pass, 9,015 tests
• 2019 SEAT Ateca - 91.5% first-time pass, 10,831 tests
• 2020 SEAT Ateca - 92% first-time pass, 5,222 tests
• 2021 SEAT Ateca - 89.1% first-time pass, 1,234 tests

SEAT Ateca by fuel type

The SEAT Ateca's two most-tested fuel types split by 1.2 points: petrol passes first time 90.4% of the time (26,347 tests) against 89.2% for diesel (11,628 tests).

• Petrol SEAT Ateca - 90.4% first-time pass, 26,347 tests
• Diesel SEAT Ateca - 89.2% first-time pass, 11,628 tests

Other SEAT models

• SEAT Ibiza - 71.3%
• SEAT Leon - 79.5%
• SEAT Arona - 86.6%
• SEAT Alhambra - 77.7%
• SEAT Mii - 82.1%
• SEAT Altea - 65.9%
• SEAT Tarraco - 86.6%
• SEAT Toledo - 73.9%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Kia Xceed First Edition Isg S-A - 89.8%
• SEAT Leon Fr Black Ed Tsi Evo S-A - 89.8%
• Peugeot 3008 GT Line Puretech S/S - 89.8%
• Skoda Kodiaq - 89.7%
• Lexus Is - 89.7%
• BMW 218i M Sport Auto - 89.7%

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
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

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<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/seat-ateca"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/seat-ateca.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="SEAT Ateca MOT Pass Rate: 89.7% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate