Seat Altea
From 20,754 MOT tests. Below average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Alteas fare better: 2015 models pass at 77.1% vs 60.6% for 2005.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin and bush or joint excessively worn. The top issue, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, caused 1,016 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,016 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 936 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 758 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 741 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 724 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 533 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 502 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 453 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 421 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 404 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 25.6% of Altea failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 33.1% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. Breakdown cover may be worth considering for this model. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £115.
Seat Altea on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 2,083 scrapped or exported in the past year, a net loss of 2,083. At this rate, roughly 6.4 years until none remain. Now at 45.3% of its peak (29,308 in 2014 Q3).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 11,294 | 1,995 | +0 | -504 | -504 |
| 2025 Q2 | 11,800 | 1,993 | +0 | -508 | -508 |
| 2025 Q1 | 12,342 | 1,959 | +0 | -545 | -545 |
| 2024 Q4 | 12,910 | 1,936 | +0 | -526 | -526 |
| 2024 Q3 | 13,476 | 1,896 | +0 | -521 | -521 |
| 2024 Q2 | 14,049 | 1,844 | +0 | -517 | -517 |
| 2024 Q1 | 14,605 | 1,805 | +0 | -517 | -517 |
| 2023 Q4 | 15,179 | 1,748 | +1 | -452 | -451 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altea Stylance Tdi | Diesel | 771 | 10% |
| Altea Se Cr Tdi Ecomotive | Diesel | 726 | 9% |
| Altea Reference Sport | Petrol | 724 | 9% |
| Altea Xl Stylance Tdi 105 | Diesel | 720 | 9% |
| Altea Xl Se Cr Tdi Eco | Diesel | 650 | 8% |
| Altea Xl S Cr Tdi S-A | Diesel | 446 | 6% |
| Altea Se Cr Tdi S-A | Diesel | 411 | 5% |
| Altea Reference Tdi | Diesel | 365 | 5% |
| Altea Xl Se Copa Cr Tdi S-A | Diesel | 339 | 4% |
| Altea Xl I Tech Crtdi E-Motive | Diesel | 316 | 4% |
| Altea I Tech Cr Tdi Ecomotive | Diesel | 311 | 4% |
| Altea Xl Se Tdi | Diesel | 304 | 4% |
| Altea Xl Stylance Tdi 140 | Diesel | 302 | 4% |
| Altea Reference | Gas | 272 | 3% |
| Altea Xl I Tech Cr Tdi S-A | Diesel | 252 | 3% |
| Altea Xl Se Copa Crtdi Emotive | Diesel | 238 | 3% |
| Altea Xl Se Cr Tdi | Diesel | 219 | 3% |
| Altea Se Copa Cr Tdi Ecomotive | Diesel | 218 | 3% |
| Altea Stylance Tdi A | Diesel | 190 | 2% |
| Altea Xl Stylance Tdi140A | Diesel | 189 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 77.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2014 | 74.8% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2013 | 71.9% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2012 | 73.1% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage |
8 earlier years
| 2011 | 69.5% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2010 | 68.4% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2009 | 68% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2008 | 63.9% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2007 | 65.9% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2006 | 62.8% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2005 | 60.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2004 | 61% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction |
Typical mileage
Half of all Alteas tested had between 73,724 and 136,108 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 108,337 median miles, the Altea has 0.03 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Seat models
| Seat Ibiza | 74.7% |
| Seat Leon | 80.8% |
| Seat Ateca | 89.9% |
| Seat Arona | 87.2% |
| Seat Alhambra | 78.8% |
Common questions
What is the Seat Altea MOT pass rate?
The Seat Altea has a 67.7% MOT pass rate based on 20,754 real MOT tests. This is below the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Seat Altea?
The most common MOT failure on the Seat Altea is a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which caused 1,016 failures. Other common issues include a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened.
How many Seat Alteas are on UK roads?
There are 11,294 Seat Alteas currently licensed on UK roads, with 1,995 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Seat Altea at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Seat Altea is 108,337 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 73,724 and 136,108 miles.
Buying a used Altea?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 67.7% pass rate and an average repair bill of £115 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 25.6% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.