SEAT Alhambra MOT pass rate: 78.6% (25,888 tests, 2025)

Name: SEAT Alhambra MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The SEAT Alhambra passed 78.6% of its 25,888 MOT tests in 2025 — 1.1 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 9 years old with 96,174 miles on the clock.

78.6%Pass rate (2025)

25,888MOT tests analysed

96,174 miMedian mileage at test

9 yrsMedian age at test

How the Alhambra compares

SEAT Alhambra

78.6%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

SEAT average (all models)

78.4%

What fails most on the SEAT Alhambra

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Alhambra:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	4,219	31.6%
2	Tyres	3,278	24.5%
3	Brakes	1,719	12.9%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,665	12.5%
5	Body, chassis, structure	920	6.9%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	688	5.2%

Pre-MOT checklist for Alhambra owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

Alhambra pass rate by registration year

Strongest age-adjusted years: 2011, 2016. Full ranking and method: SEAT Alhambra years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2011	3,600	70.1%	+1.0 pts	121,392	70.1% visual scale
2012	4,170	70.3%	-0.9 pts	113,216	70.3% visual scale
2013	4,593	72.7%	-0.7 pts	100,272	72.7% visual scale
2014	5,507	75.8%	-0.1 pts	99,101	75.8% visual scale
2015	6,448	78.6%	-0.2 pts	95,206	78.6% visual scale
2016	12,436	82.2%	+0.8 pts	87,252	82.2% visual scale
2017	17,763	84.2%	+0.2 pts	71,343	84.2% visual scale
2018	7,484	86.3%	-0.1 pts	57,254	86.3% visual scale
2019	7,856	87.1%	-1.3 pts	44,514	87.1% visual scale
2020	2,445	88.1%	-1.8 pts	33,253	88.1% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Pins and bushes pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement — 2,688 cars · 9.1% failed the same item the next year
Condition has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords — 257 cars · 7.4% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 1,472 cars · 3.6% failed the same item the next year
Rigid brake pipes corroded, covered in grease or other material — 203 cars · 3.4% failed the same item the next year
Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 352 cars · 3.1% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Alhambra before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other SEAT models

Ibiza71.6% pass rate · 186,442 tests Leon78.7% pass rate · 160,327 tests Arona85.0% pass rate · 41,799 tests Ateca89.4% pass rate · 38,935 tests Mii80.9% pass rate · 17,185 tests Altea66.3% pass rate · 11,126 tests Tarraco85.9% pass rate · 6,852 tests Leon Fr TSI Evo90.3% pass rate · 6,005 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a SEAT Alhambra?

In 2025, 78.6% of 25,888 first MOT tests on the SEAT Alhambra were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Alhambra fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (31.6% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the SEAT Alhambra reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 78.6% it performs above the national average at a median age of 9 years and 96,174 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.