SEAT Ibiza MOT failure rate and common faults
187,432 SEAT Ibiza cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 33.9% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 28.3% of the time, which makes the SEAT Ibiza 20% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
33.9%
failed first time
187,432 MOT tests in 2025
+20%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 28.3%
182 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
128.6
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 104.7
What fails on a SEAT Ibiza 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 Ibiza 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 | 54.2 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 44.1 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 30.6 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 29.1 |
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Steering | 28.5 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 27.5 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 24.0 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 20.3 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 20.3 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 20.3 |
SEAT Ibiza 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 | 5,297 | 11.8% | 11.4% | 24,500 |
| 2021 | 8,473 | 12.5% | 12.8% | 32,000 |
| 2020 | 8,130 | 14.2% | 14.1% | 38,600 |
| 2019 | 13,057 | 17.5% | 16.5% | 44,000 |
| 2018 | 12,951 | 27.7% | 19.1% | 52,700 |
| 2017 | 15,706 | 29.2% | 21.8% | 58,700 |
| 2016 | 18,116 | 33.5% | 25.1% | 66,300 |
| 2015 | 17,746 | 36.7% | 28.1% | 72,100 |
| 2014 | 19,006 | 38.6% | 31.4% | 79,200 |
| 2013 | 15,852 | 40.9% | 34.3% | 88,100 |
| 2012 | 12,751 | 40.9% | 36.6% | 92,100 |
| 2011 | 12,715 | 43.2% | 38.8% | 97,500 |
| 2010 | 9,393 | 44.5% | 40.7% | 101,400 |
| 2009 | 7,644 | 46.9% | 41.8% | 103,000 |
| 2008 | 4,451 | 50.9% | 42.9% | 104,200 |
| 2007 | 3,003 | 51.0% | 42.7% | 102,300 |
| 2006 | 2,039 | 50.0% | 43.0% | 101,800 |
| 2005 | 1,102 | 49.1% | 42.4% | 99,800 |
Advisories to look for in a SEAT Ibiza'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 Ibiza, 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 edge297.1
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing146.5
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened146.0
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement124.3
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil120.7
- Brake pads: wearing thin68.8
Checking a used SEAT Ibiza before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the SEAT Ibiza fails more often than average on suspension, brakes and tyres. 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.
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.
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.
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 Ibiza cars tested: Petrol 92%, Diesel 8%. Average age at test 10.3 years, average recorded mileage 72,100.
SEAT Ibiza MOT questions
What is the SEAT Ibiza MOT failure rate?
33.9% of SEAT Ibiza cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 187,432 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 28.3% of the time, so the SEAT Ibiza was 20% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a SEAT Ibiza MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 192 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 54.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which SEAT Ibiza year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2021 registrations did best: 12.5% 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 Ibiza will pass?
No. These are averages across every SEAT Ibiza 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 Leon24.0% failed
- SEAT Arona15.8% failed
- SEAT Ateca12.2% failed
- SEAT Alhambra25.1% failed
Ranked close to the SEAT Ibiza
- Ford Ecosportrank 179
- Citroen C3rank 180
- Nissan Qashqairank 181
- Peugeot 308rank 183
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 Ibiza 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.