2018 SEAT Alhambra MOT pass rate: 86.3% (7,484 tests)
Is the 2018 Alhambra getting worse?
Pass rate of 2018-registered cars across recent test years:
Scroll horizontally to read every trend column.
| Test year | Pass rate | Pass-rate bar |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 87.6% -0.4 vs same-age |
87.6% visual scale |
| 2024 | 86.2% -0.0 vs same-age |
86.2% visual scale |
| 2025 | 85.0% +0.2 vs same-age |
85.0% visual scale |
The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.
What fails on a 2018 Alhambra
Scroll horizontally to read every failure column.
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 777 | 41.2% |
| 2 | Suspension | 345 | 18.3% |
| 3 | Brakes | 274 | 14.5% |
| 4 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 194 | 10.3% |
| 5 | Visibility | 101 | 5.4% |
| 6 | Noise, emissions and leaks | 68 | 3.6% |
All Alhambra years compared
Scroll horizontally to compare every registration-year column.
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 3,600 | 70.1% | +1.0 pts | 121,392 |
| 2012 | 4,170 | 70.3% | -0.9 pts | 113,216 |
| 2013 | 4,593 | 72.7% | -0.7 pts | 100,272 |
| 2014 | 5,507 | 75.8% | -0.1 pts | 99,101 |
| 2015 | 6,448 | 78.6% | -0.2 pts | 95,206 |
| 2016 | 12,436 | 82.2% | +0.8 pts | 87,252 |
| 2017 | 17,763 | 84.2% | +0.2 pts | 71,343 |
| 2018 (this page) | 7,484 | 86.3% | -0.1 pts | 57,254 |
| 2019 | 7,856 | 87.1% | -1.3 pts | 44,514 |
| 2020 | 2,445 | 88.1% | -1.8 pts | 33,253 |
Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: SEAT Alhambra years to avoid.
- Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
FAQs
Is a 2018 SEAT Alhambra reliable?
2018-registered examples passed 86.3% of their MOT tests (7,484 tests, 2023–2025), -0.1 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 8 years old with a median 57,254 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2018 Alhambra?
The median tested example shows 57,254 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.
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.
- When a repair costs more than the car — what a comparable quote should include, plus any verified UK figures we have sourced.
- 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, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.