2010 SEAT Alhambra — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2010 SEAT Alhambra passed 73.2% of its 2,495 recorded MOT tests. That is effectively the same as MPVs of a similar age (25.8% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (16.0%) and lighting & signalling (14.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, position lamp and side repeaters — pins and bushes alone was recorded 251 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2010 Alhambra fails 24.7% of the time in the 30-60k band and 27.6% at 150k+, a spread of only 2.9 points.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 38.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 25.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 16.0% | 398 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 14.3% | 356 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.8% | 194 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.5% | 161 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.5% | 113 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.0% | 100 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 251 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 192 |
| 3 | Side repeaters | 107 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 98 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 91 |
| 6 | Washers | 88 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 38.4% | 959 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.8% | 694 |
| 3 | Brakes | 27.4% | 683 |
| 4 | Other defects | 14.0% | 349 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 9.0% | 224 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.9% | 223 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 81 | 24.7% |
| 60-90k | 312 | 23.4% |
| 90-120k | 753 | 26.7% |
| 120-150k | 732 | 28.0% |
| 150k+ | 613 | 27.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 2,456 | 26.7% |
| Petrol | 39 | 30.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 554 | 25.3% |
| 2022 | 545 | 26.4% |
| 2023 | 523 | 28.1% |
| 2024 | 468 | 27.1% |
| 2025 | 405 | 27.2% |
What to check before buying a 2010 Alhambra
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 16.0% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (16.0% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (14.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (7.8% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2010 SEAT Alhambras pass their MOT?
73.2% of the 2,495 2010 SEAT Alhambra MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 26.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2010 SEAT Alhambra?
Suspension, recorded in 16.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (14.3%).
Does the 2010 Alhambra get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 24.7% in the 30-60k band to 27.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,495 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.