SEAT Alhambra MOT failure rate and common faults
25,443 SEAT Alhambra cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 25.1% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 26.1% of the time, which makes the SEAT Alhambra 4% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
25.1%
failed first time
25,443 MOT tests in 2025
-4%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 26.1%
109 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
132.2
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 99.4
What fails on a SEAT Alhambra MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common SEAT Alhambra MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 68.0 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 49.7 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 35.9 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 27.2 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 24.2 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 20.9 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 18.7 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 15.4 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 15.2 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 12.3 |
SEAT Alhambra MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 811 | 13.4% | 14.1% | 51,700 |
| 2019 | 2,549 | 15.5% | 16.5% | 69,400 |
| 2018 | 2,510 | 18.6% | 19.1% | 85,200 |
| 2017 | 5,912 | 20.3% | 21.8% | 102,100 |
| 2016 | 4,099 | 22.8% | 25.1% | 120,200 |
| 2015 | 2,108 | 26.4% | 28.1% | 120,900 |
| 2014 | 1,796 | 30.5% | 31.4% | 117,200 |
| 2013 | 1,490 | 33.1% | 34.3% | 116,300 |
| 2012 | 1,343 | 34.4% | 36.6% | 127,900 |
| 2011 | 1,148 | 34.7% | 38.8% | 133,200 |
Advisories to look for in a SEAT Alhambra's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the SEAT Alhambra, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge386.2
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement260.6
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened130.6
- Brake pads: wearing thin98.0
- Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened74.0
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing63.0
Checking a used SEAT Alhambra before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the SEAT Alhambra fails more often than average on suspension, tyres and seat belts and airbags. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Seat belts and airbags
Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches, and make sure the airbag warning light goes out after starting.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
SEAT Alhambra MOT questions
What is the SEAT Alhambra MOT failure rate?
25.1% of SEAT Alhambra cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 25,443 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 26.1% of the time, so the SEAT Alhambra was 4% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a SEAT Alhambra MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 156 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 68.0 times per 1,000 tests.
Which SEAT Alhambra year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2011 registrations did best: 34.7% failed against an average of 38.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular SEAT Alhambra will pass?
No. These are averages across every SEAT Alhambra tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other SEAT models
- SEAT Ibiza33.9% failed
- SEAT Leon24.0% failed
- SEAT Arona15.8% failed
- SEAT Ateca12.2% failed
Ranked close to the SEAT Alhambra
- Volkswagen Sciroccorank 106
- Audi A1rank 107
- Range Rover Velarrank 108
- Kia Xceedrank 110
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many SEAT Alhambra cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.