2021 SEAT Ateca — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 16,691 MOT tests, the 2021 SEAT Ateca recorded a 91.7% pass rate. That is 1.2 percentage points worse than small SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 7.1%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.9%) and lighting & signalling (3.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and brake pads — headlamp aim alone was recorded 565 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 14.0% versus 6.2%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 8.2% fail against 10.0% for diesel, a 1.8-point gap across 16,691 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 20.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 6.2% of tests failed in 2023 against 8.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.9% | 643 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.1% | 512 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.7% | 278 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.6% | 262 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 187 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 117 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 565 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 490 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 271 |
| 4 | Shock absorbers | 168 |
| 5 | Wipers | 147 |
| 6 | Washers | 138 |
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 | 20.5% | 3,426 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.5% | 2,093 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.0% | 2,007 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.7% | 1,622 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.7% | 446 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 43 |
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 | 9,220 | 6.2% |
| 30-60k | 6,911 | 10.8% |
| 60-90k | 504 | 14.1% |
| 90-120k | 50 | 14.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 15,334 | 8.2% |
| Diesel | 1,357 | 10.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 433 | 6.2% |
| 2024 | 8,196 | 8.1% |
| 2025 | 8,055 | 8.7% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Ateca
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 3.9% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (3.9% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (1.7% 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 2021 SEAT Atecas pass their MOT?
91.7% of the 16,691 2021 SEAT Ateca MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 SEAT Ateca?
Tyres, recorded in 3.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.1%).
Does the 2021 Ateca get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.2% in the 0-30k band to 14.0% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 16,691 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.