SEAT Exeo: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The SEAT Exeo fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 6.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 4,848 individual SEAT Exeo tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate70.1%
UK national average76.7%
Difference-6.6 points
Tests analysed4,848
Average mileage at test134,469 miles
Average year of manufacture2011
Reliability rank1,755 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 70.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 30 in every 100 SEAT Exeos presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average SEAT Exeo tested had covered 134,469 miles and was built around 2011.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a SEAT Exeo bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

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 Exeo 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 Exeos actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a SEAT Exeo

  1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 3.7% of tests (49.71x the national rate for this defect)
  2. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.3% of tests (5.93x the national rate for this defect)
  3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.1% of tests (3.11x the national rate for this defect)
  4. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.6% of tests (2.79x the national rate for this defect)
  5. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.3% of tests (2.32x the national rate for this defect)
  6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.1% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
  7. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 1.6% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this defect)
  8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.7% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this defect)
  9. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.4% of tests (1.49x the national rate for this defect)
  10. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.4% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)

From 7,140 DVSA-tracked SEAT Exeo tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.15% of these flagged SEAT Exeo defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

SEAT Exeo 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 Exeo year:

Other SEAT models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate