2016 SEAT Ateca MOT pass rate: 89.0% (5,595 tests)

2016-registered SEAT Atecas passed 89.0% of 5,595 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 7.6 points better than all UK cars registered in 2016 (81.3%). This is one of the strongest Ateca years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

89.0%Pass rate, 2016 cars

107.6Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

5,595Tests analysed

64,234 miMedian mileage at test

88.5% / 89.3%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2016 Ateca getting worse?

Pass rate of 2016-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	89.3% +6.1 vs same-age
2024	88.7% +7.5 vs same-age
2025	88.9% +9.3 vs same-age

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 2016 Ateca

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	370	36.1%
2	Brakes	239	23.3%
3	Suspension	107	10.4%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	98	9.6%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	75	7.3%
6	Visibility	65	6.3%

All Ateca years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2016 (this page)	5,595	89.0%	+7.6 pts	64,234
2017	28,423	89.2%	+5.2 pts	56,217
2018	26,526	89.4%	+3.0 pts	47,942
2019	31,967	91.2%	+2.8 pts	38,496
2020	15,578	91.9%	+2.0 pts	29,699
2021	2,338	88.4%	-2.1 pts	30,780

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: SEAT Ateca years to avoid.

Buying a 2016 Ateca? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2016 SEAT Ateca reliable?

2016-registered examples passed 89.0% of their MOT tests (5,595 tests, 2023–2025), +7.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 10 years old with a median 64,234 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2016 Ateca?

The median tested example shows 64,234 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.

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 OGL v3.0.