2021 SEAT Ateca MOT pass rate: 88.4% (2,338 tests)

2021-registered SEAT Atecas passed 88.4% of 2,338 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 2.1 points worse than same-age cars (90.4%). This is one of the lower-scoring Ateca years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

88.4%Pass rate, 2021 cars

97.9Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

2,338Tests analysed

30,780 miMedian mileage at test

87.8% / 90.0%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2021 Ateca getting worse?

Pass rate of 2021-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2024	89.4% -1.2 vs same-age
2025	87.3% -2.9 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 2021 Ateca

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	161	35.6%
2	Brakes	74	16.4%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	68	15.0%
4	Suspension	55	12.2%
5	Visibility	39	8.6%
6	Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems	23	5.1%

All Ateca years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2016	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 (this page)	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 2021 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 2021 SEAT Ateca reliable?

2021-registered examples passed 88.4% of their MOT tests (2,338 tests, 2023–2025), -2.1 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 5 years old with a median 30,780 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2021 Ateca?

The median tested example shows 30,780 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.