Seat Arona
From 56,189 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Aronas fare better: 2022 models pass at 98.2% vs 78.5% for 2017.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a tyre seriously damaged and a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm. The top issue, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, caused 1,456 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.
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,456 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 1,225 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 1,090 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 665 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 497 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 425 |
| brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn | 383 |
| excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution. | 337 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 315 |
| engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction | 155 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 53.9% of Arona failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 2.4% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £103.
Seat Arona on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 6,367 newly registered in the past year with 627 leaving, a net gain of 5,740. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 77,321 | 294 | +1,986 | -312 | +1,674 |
| 2025 Q2 | 75,580 | 361 | +1,583 | -120 | +1,463 |
| 2025 Q1 | 74,155 | 323 | +1,673 | -195 | +1,478 |
| 2024 Q4 | 72,706 | 294 | +1,125 | -0 | +1,239 |
| 2024 Q3 | 71,518 | 243 | +2,763 | -254 | +2,509 |
| 2024 Q2 | 69,062 | 190 | +2,701 | -184 | +2,517 |
| 2024 Q1 | 66,520 | 215 | +2,909 | -0 | +3,068 |
| 2023 Q4 | 63,435 | 232 | +1,839 | -0 | +1,928 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arona Se Technology Tsi | Petrol | 12,283 | 19% |
| Arona Fr Ecotsi | Petrol | 5,575 | 9% |
| Arona Fr Tsi | Petrol | 4,465 | 7% |
| Arona Fr Sport Ecotsi S-A | Petrol | 4,432 | 7% |
| Arona Xcellence Lux Tsi S-A | Petrol | 3,767 | 6% |
| Arona Se Technology Tsi S-A | Petrol | 3,670 | 6% |
| Arona Se Technology Ecotsi S-A | Petrol | 3,527 | 5% |
| Arona Xperience Lux Ecotsi S-A | Petrol | 3,442 | 5% |
| Arona Fr Sport Ecotsi | Petrol | 3,397 | 5% |
| Arona Fr Ecotsi S-A | Petrol | 2,785 | 4% |
| Arona Fr Sport Tsi S-A | Petrol | 2,769 | 4% |
| Arona Se Technology Lux Tdi | Diesel | 2,749 | 4% |
| Arona Fr Tsi S-A | Petrol | 2,550 | 4% |
| Arona Fr Sport Tsi | Petrol | 2,007 | 3% |
| Arona Xcellence Lux Tsi | Petrol | 1,398 | 2% |
| Arona Fr Edition Tsi | Petrol | 1,387 | 2% |
| Arona Se Tsi | Petrol | 1,369 | 2% |
| Arona Se Technology Ecotsi | Petrol | 1,220 | 2% |
| Arona Xperience Lux Ecotsi | Petrol | 1,086 | 2% |
| Arona Fr Red Edition Ecotsi | Petrol | 1,019 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 98.2% | - |
| 2021 | 90.6% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2020 | 90.2% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2019 | 88.4% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
2 earlier years
| 2018 | 82.4% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 78.5% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated |
Typical mileage
Half of all Aronas tested had between 21,738 and 38,186 miles on the clock. Relatively low mileage overall. Many are still fairly young.
At 30,666 median miles, the Arona has 0.042 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Seat models
| Seat Ibiza | 74.7% |
| Seat Leon | 80.8% |
| Seat Ateca | 89.9% |
| Seat Alhambra | 78.8% |
| Seat Mii | 80.5% |
Common questions
What is the Seat Arona MOT pass rate?
The Seat Arona has a 87.2% MOT pass rate based on 56,189 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Seat Arona?
The most common MOT failure on the Seat Arona is steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which caused 1,456 failures. Other common issues include a tyre seriously damaged.
How many Seat Aronas are on UK roads?
There are 77,321 Seat Aronas currently licensed on UK roads, with 294 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Seat Arona at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Seat Arona is 30,666 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 21,738 and 38,186 miles.
Buying a used Arona?
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.
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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.