SEAT
3,623 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Arona FR Ecotsis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
88.7%
Pass-after-fix
2.1%
Fail
9.1%
Avg miles
25,876
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 3,623 tests
Pass rate drops 6.4 points across the cohorts — recent Arona FR Ecotsi examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
94.8%
Fail
5.2%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
28,220 mi
Pass
88.5%
Fail
9.2%
PRS
2.1%
Avg mileage at test
25,799 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 3,623 MOT tests, the Arona Fr Ecotsi returns 88.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel and an excessively worn brake disc round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 25,876, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
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a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
98 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.
59 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
43 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
36 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
31 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
26 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
26 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
25 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
23 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade defective
23 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
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Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 6.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy SEAT Arona FR Ecotsi has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
94.8%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 94.8% — a 6.4-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: excessively binding, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
88.5%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 88.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, excessively fluctuating, and significantly and obviously worn. Average mileage on test for this band is 25,799 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (94.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (88.5% pass). That's a 6.4-point spread across 3,507 older tests and 116 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
The SEAT Arona is a stylish compact SUV on the MQB-A0 platform, offering good value against VW T-Cross and Skoda Kamiq equivalents. The 1.0-litre TSI engine is efficient and reliable.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an Arona FR Ecotsi and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
