2022 SEAT Ateca — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2022 SEAT Ateca passed 93.9% of its 5,989 recorded MOT tests. Small SUVs of a similar age fail at 6.6%, so the 2022 Ateca sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.5%) and lighting & signalling (2.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and brake pads — tread depth alone was recorded 149 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 5.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 10.3% once past 60-90k — 2.1× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.1pp more often than petrol ones (7.8% vs 5.8%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 17.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 8.7% in 2023 to 6.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.5% | 207 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.1% | 128 |
| 3 | Visibility | 1.3% | 77 |
| 4 | Brakes | 0.9% | 56 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.8% | 47 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 41 |
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 | 149 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 145 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 62 |
| 4 | Shock absorbers | 50 |
| 5 | Wipers | 44 |
| 6 | Washers | 42 |
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 | 17.7% | 1,058 |
| 2 | Brakes | 9.3% | 559 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.2% | 549 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.6% | 456 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.5% | 147 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 16 |
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 | 3,960 | 5.0% |
| 30-60k | 1,852 | 8.0% |
| 60-90k | 145 | 10.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,105 | 5.8% |
| Diesel | 884 | 7.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 46 | 8.7% |
| 2024 | 385 | 5.2% |
| 2025 | 5,558 | 6.1% |
What to check before buying a 2022 Ateca
On a 2022 Ateca, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 3.5% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (3.5% 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 (2.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (1.3% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£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 2022 SEAT Atecas pass their MOT?
93.9% of the 5,989 2022 SEAT Ateca MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2022 SEAT Ateca?
Tyres, recorded in 3.5% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.1%).
Does the 2022 Ateca get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.0% in the 0-30k band to 10.3% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,989 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.