SEAT Arona MOT failure rate and common faults
56,484 SEAT Arona cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 15.8% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 15.3% of the time, which makes the SEAT Arona 4% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
15.8%
failed first time
56,484 MOT tests in 2025
+4%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 15.3%
140 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
79.7
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 68.3
What fails on a SEAT Arona 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 Arona MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Steering | 36.4 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 29.1 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 18.8 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 16.7 |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn | Brakes | 11.5 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 10.1 |
| Tyres: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure | Tyres | 9.6 |
| Service brake performance: excessively fluctuating | Brakes | 7.9 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 6.9 |
| Headlamp aim: too high | Lights and electrics | 6.7 |
SEAT Arona 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,774 | 11.0% | 11.4% | 23,700 |
| 2021 | 11,741 | 11.5% | 12.8% | 30,300 |
| 2020 | 10,571 | 12.9% | 14.1% | 34,200 |
| 2019 | 14,709 | 16.7% | 16.5% | 41,400 |
| 2018 | 12,064 | 23.6% | 19.1% | 48,600 |
| 2017 | 625 | 28.2% | 21.8% | 51,600 |
Advisories to look for in a SEAT Arona'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 Arona, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing195.2
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge177.2
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened165.6
- Brake pads: wearing thin130.0
- Brake discs: worn, but not excessively30.8
- Tyres: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords16.5
Checking a used SEAT Arona before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the SEAT Arona fails more often than average on brakes and steering. Start there.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Steering
With the engine running, rock the wheel gently: there should be almost no free play. Listen for knocks on full lock and look for power steering fluid leaks.
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.
Fuel mix of the SEAT Arona cars tested: Petrol 91%, Diesel 9%. Average age at test 5.3 years, average recorded mileage 37,300.
SEAT Arona MOT questions
What is the SEAT Arona MOT failure rate?
15.8% of SEAT Arona cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 56,484 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 15.3% of the time, so the SEAT Arona was 4% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a SEAT Arona MOT?
Brakes caused the most failure items, at 67 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded 36.4 times per 1,000 tests.
Which SEAT Arona year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2021 registrations did best: 11.5% failed against an average of 12.8% 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 Arona will pass?
No. These are averages across every SEAT Arona 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 Ateca12.2% failed
- SEAT Alhambra25.1% failed
Ranked close to the SEAT Arona
- Kia Sportagerank 137
- Ford Focusrank 138
- Volvo C30rank 139
- Kia Picantorank 141
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 Arona 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.