SEAT Tarraco MOT pass rate & common failures
The SEAT Tarraco appears in 27,236 MOT tests spanning model years 2019–2024, and 88.5% of them passed. That is 1.9 percentage points worse than large SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 9.6%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, brakes and seat belts & restraints.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.0%) and brakes (2.9%) 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 srs malfunction indicator lamp — tread depth alone was recorded 913 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.6% in the 0-30k band and 15.3% in the 120-150k band, a 6.7-point spread.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 11.2% of the time against 11.8% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 4.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Tarraco model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 18,932 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 6,524 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 1,213 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 484 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 80 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.0% | 1,371 |
| 2 | Brakes | 2.9% | 782 |
| 3 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.5% | 690 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.2% | 595 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.5% | 406 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.1% | 311 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.8% | 221 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.3% | 70 |
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 | 913 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 780 |
| 3 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 616 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 463 |
| 5 | Wipers | 331 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 280 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 205 |
| 8 | Brake discs | 142 |
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 | 24.7% | 6,724 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.3% | 4,983 |
| 3 | Other defects | 12.1% | 3,295 |
| 4 | Suspension | 6.1% | 1,658 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.0% | 812 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.9% | 253 |
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 | 9,567 | 8.6% |
| 30-60k | 14,141 | 12.8% |
| 60-90k | 3,045 | 14.1% |
| 90-120k | 385 | 16.1% |
| 120-150k | 72 | 15.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 14,379 | 11.2% |
| Petrol | 12,857 | 11.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50 | 4.0% |
| 2022 | 4,881 | 10.8% |
| 2023 | 7,028 | 11.0% |
| 2024 | 7,446 | 11.6% |
| 2025 | 7,831 | 12.5% |
What to check before buying a SEAT Tarraco
- Tyres (5.0% 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 (2.9% 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.
- Seat belts & restraints (2.5% of tests): Belt damage or faulty pretensioners — usually straightforward but safety-critical. Typical repair: £50–£300.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the SEAT Tarraco?
88.5% of the 27,236 SEAT Tarraco MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 11.5% fail rate, across model years 2019–2024.
What does the SEAT Tarraco most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 5.0% of tests, then brakes (2.9%).
How much does mileage affect Tarraco MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 15.3% for 120-150k, a 6.7-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Tarraco more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 11.2% of the time against 11.8% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 27,236 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.