SEAT
2,341 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Ateca SE Technology Tsi Evo SAs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.0%
Pass-after-fix
2.4%
Fail
7.0%
Avg miles
26,894
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 · 2,341 tests
Pass rate drops 1.4 points across the cohorts — recent Ateca SE Technology Tsi Evo SA examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
91.1%
Fail
6.8%
PRS
1.4%
Avg mileage at test
29,629 mi
Pass
89.7%
Fail
7.1%
PRS
2.7%
Avg mileage at test
26,123 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,341 MOT tests, the Ateca Se Technology Tsi Evo Sa returns 90.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Brake pads worn below 1.5 mm and headlamp aim out of spec round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 26,894, 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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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
49 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
20 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
18 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
18 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
17 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Wiper blade defective
10 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
9 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
8 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended
8 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
8 occurrences · 0.3% 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.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£150–£335
If every one of this Ateca SE Technology Tsi Evo SA's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.4-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy SEAT Ateca SE Technology Tsi Evo SA makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
91.1%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.1% — a 1.4-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: too high, 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
89.7%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 89.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has a cut in excess of the…, and less than 1.5 mm thick. Average mileage on test for this band is 26,123 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (89.7% pass). That's a 1.4-point spread across 1,826 older tests and 515 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.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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£6.59
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Hycote Seat Emocion Red Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
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 Ateca is a well-rounded compact SUV on the MQB platform, offering genuine value against Volkswagen and Skoda equivalents. Reliable, practical and reasonably priced.
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 Ateca SE Technology Tsi Evo SA 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.
