2015 SEAT Toledo — MOT failures & pass rate
5,088 MOT tests on the 2015 SEAT Toledo are in this dataset, and 80.5% of them passed. Against small family cars of a similar age (15.2% fail rate), the 2015 Toledo comes out 4.3pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.6%) and suspension (8.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, pins and bushes and tread depth — headlamp aim alone was recorded 285 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 23.4% once past 150k — 2.1× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 17.3% fail against 20.5% for diesel, a 3.2-point gap across 5,088 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.6% | 437 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.6% | 435 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.9% | 302 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.5% | 282 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.5% | 178 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.0% | 155 |
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 | 285 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 243 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 147 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 125 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 117 |
| 6 | Joints | 107 |
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 | 25.2% | 1,280 |
| 2 | Suspension | 24.1% | 1,224 |
| 3 | Brakes | 21.8% | 1,109 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 10.3% | 525 |
| 5 | Other defects | 7.8% | 396 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.7% | 240 |
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 | 202 | 10.9% |
| 30-60k | 983 | 15.8% |
| 60-90k | 969 | 18.8% |
| 90-120k | 697 | 18.2% |
| 120-150k | 623 | 20.7% |
| 150k+ | 1,613 | 23.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 3,422 | 20.5% |
| Petrol | 1,666 | 17.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,174 | 18.3% |
| 2022 | 1,102 | 17.6% |
| 2023 | 1,024 | 20.0% |
| 2024 | 950 | 21.3% |
| 2025 | 838 | 21.0% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Toledo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 8.6% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (8.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.6% 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.
- Tyres (5.9% 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.
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 2015 SEAT Toledos pass their MOT?
80.5% of the 5,088 2015 SEAT Toledo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 SEAT Toledo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.6% of tests, followed by suspension (8.6%).
Does the 2015 Toledo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.9% in the 0-30k band to 23.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,088 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.