2016 SEAT Ateca — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2016 SEAT Ateca passed 91.1% of its 10,349 recorded MOT tests. Small SUVs of a similar age fail 14.1% of the time, so this is 5.2pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, brakes and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.3%) and brakes (2.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, brake pads and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 274 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 4.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 11.9% once past 120-150k — 2.4× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 8.6% of the time against 9.4% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.3% | 448 |
| 2 | Brakes | 2.5% | 260 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.3% | 238 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.5% | 155 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 109 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.9% | 94 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 274 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 161 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 153 |
| 4 | Brake discs | 136 |
| 5 | Wipers | 115 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 86 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 23.9% | 2,479 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.2% | 2,296 |
| 3 | Other defects | 10.7% | 1,105 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.9% | 612 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 346 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.7% | 69 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 964 | 4.9% |
| 30-60k | 4,998 | 8.6% |
| 60-90k | 3,279 | 9.7% |
| 90-120k | 933 | 11.7% |
| 120-150k | 151 | 11.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 6,294 | 8.6% |
| Petrol | 4,055 | 9.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,026 | 7.3% |
| 2022 | 2,068 | 7.3% |
| 2023 | 2,087 | 9.7% |
| 2024 | 2,090 | 10.1% |
| 2025 | 2,078 | 10.1% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Ateca
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 4.3% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (4.3% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Brakes (2.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (2.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 2016 SEAT Atecas pass their MOT?
91.1% of the 10,349 2016 SEAT Ateca MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 SEAT Ateca?
Tyres, recorded in 4.3% of tests, followed by brakes (2.5%).
Does the 2016 Ateca get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.9% in the 0-30k band to 11.9% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,349 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.