Seat Arosa
From 3,780 MOT tests. Below average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn and exhaust system leaking or insecure. The top issue, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, caused 142 failures in 2024. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 142 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 138 |
| exhaust system leaking or insecure | 130 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 122 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 101 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 82 |
| brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle. | 82 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 74 |
| lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 69 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 66 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 29.5% of Arosa failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 21.9% 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 £123.
Seat Arosa on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 439 scrapped or exported in the past year, a net loss of 439. At this rate, roughly 6.7 years until none remain. Now at 16.6% of its peak (17,663 in 2004 Q4).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 1,511 | 1,417 | +0 | -68 | -68 |
| 2025 Q2 | 1,588 | 1,408 | +0 | -72 | -72 |
| 2025 Q1 | 1,660 | 1,408 | +0 | -129 | -129 |
| 2024 Q4 | 1,764 | 1,433 | +0 | -170 | -170 |
| 2024 Q3 | 1,880 | 1,487 | +0 | -101 | -101 |
| 2024 Q2 | 1,966 | 1,502 | +0 | -76 | -76 |
| 2024 Q1 | 2,029 | 1,515 | +0 | -116 | -116 |
| 2023 Q4 | 2,126 | 1,534 | +0 | -86 | -86 |
5 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arosa S | Petrol | 844 | 60% |
| Arosa S Auto | Petrol | 279 | 20% |
| Arosa S Tdi | Diesel | 116 | 8% |
| Arosa | Petrol | 107 | 8% |
| Arosa 1.4 Mp1 Auto | Petrol | 61 | 4% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 68.8% | exhaust system leaking or insecure, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2003 | 66.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2002 | 68% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2001 | 67.7% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
3 earlier years
| 2000 | 64.5% | lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 1999 | 72.8% | exhaust system leaking or insecure, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1998 | 67.8% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, emissions levels exceed default limits |
Typical mileage
Half of all Arosas tested had between 55,963 and 108,336 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 88,579 median miles, the Arosa has 0.036 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 Arosa MOT pass rate?
The Seat Arosa has a 67.7% MOT pass rate based on 3,780 real MOT tests. This is below the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Seat Arosa?
The most common MOT failure on the Seat Arosa is the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which caused 142 failures. Other common issues include a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn.
How many Seat Arosas are on UK roads?
There are 1,511 Seat Arosas currently licensed on UK roads, with 1,417 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Seat Arosa at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Seat Arosa is 88,579 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 55,963 and 108,336 miles.
Buying a used Arosa?
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 £123 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 29.5% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
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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.