Seat Tarraco
From 11,638 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Tarracos fare better: 2021 models pass at 89.4% vs 86.9% for 2019.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged and a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm. The top issue, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, caused 266 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.
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 266 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 174 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 167 |
| an srs malfunction indicator lamp (mil) indicates a system malfunction | 149 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 96 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 91 |
| brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator | 66 |
| engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction | 62 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 61 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 33 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 58.1% of Tarraco failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 5.3% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £102.
Seat Tarraco on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 252 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 27 newly registered, a net loss of 225. At this rate, roughly 63.1 years until none remain.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 12,338 | 27 | +4 | -46 | -42 |
| 2025 Q2 | 12,372 | 35 | +3 | -0 | +33 |
| 2025 Q1 | 12,328 | 46 | +11 | -38 | -27 |
| 2024 Q4 | 12,359 | 42 | +9 | -168 | -159 |
| 2024 Q3 | 12,518 | 42 | +78 | -115 | -37 |
| 2024 Q2 | 12,571 | 26 | +540 | -24 | +516 |
| 2024 Q1 | 12,056 | 25 | +1,077 | -0 | +1,140 |
| 2023 Q4 | 10,912 | 29 | +398 | -91 | +307 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarraco Se Technology Tsi Evo | Petrol | 1,081 | 12% |
| Tarraco Xcellence Tdi 4D S-A | Diesel | 893 | 10% |
| Tarraco Xcellenc Lux Tdi 4D Sa | Diesel | 800 | 9% |
| Tarraco Fr Sport Ecotsi S-A | Petrol | 737 | 8% |
| Taracco X-Lnc Lux Tsi Evo Sa | Petrol | 605 | 7% |
| Tarraco Xcellence Lux Tsi Evo | Petrol | 539 | 6% |
| Taracco Xcellence Tsi Evo S-A | Petrol | 497 | 5% |
| Tarraco Se Technology Tdi | Diesel | 476 | 5% |
| Tarraco Xcellence Tsi Evo | Petrol | 461 | 5% |
| Tarraco Xcellence Lux Tdi | Diesel | 337 | 4% |
| Taracco Se Tech Tsi Evo Sa | Petrol | 320 | 3% |
| Taracco Fr Tsi Evo S-A | Petrol | 319 | 3% |
| Tarraco Xcellence Tdi | Diesel | 304 | 3% |
| Tarraco Fr Sport Tsi Evo S-A | Petrol | 301 | 3% |
| Tarraco Se Technology Tdi S-A | Diesel | 273 | 3% |
| Tarraco Xprnce Lux Ecotsi S-A | Petrol | 251 | 3% |
| Tarraco Se First Ed Tsi Evo | Petrol | 250 | 3% |
| Tarraco Fr Tdi S-A | Diesel | 238 | 3% |
| Tarraco X-Lnc Lux Tsi 4D Sa | Petrol | 232 | 3% |
| Tarraco Se Tech Tdi 4Drive Sa | Diesel | 229 | 3% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 89.4% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2020 | 88.2% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, an srs malfunction indicator lamp (mil) indicates a system malfunction |
| 2019 | 86.9% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
Typical mileage
Half of all Tarracos tested had between 27,225 and 48,253 miles on the clock. Relatively low mileage overall. Many are still fairly young.
At 35,778 median miles, the Tarraco has 0.035 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 Tarraco MOT pass rate?
The Seat Tarraco has a 87.5% MOT pass rate based on 11,638 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Seat Tarraco?
The most common MOT failure on the Seat Tarraco is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which caused 266 failures. Other common issues include a tyre seriously damaged.
How many Seat Tarracos are on UK roads?
There are 12,338 Seat Tarracos currently licensed on UK roads, with 27 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Seat Tarraco at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Seat Tarraco is 35,778 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 27,225 and 48,253 miles.
Buying a used Tarraco?
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.
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.