MOT cost .

SEAT

Exeo

6,714 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Exeos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 3.3 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

72.4%

Pass-after-fix

4.8%

Fail

22.1%

Avg miles

130,068

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Exeo: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 6,714 MOT tests, the Exeo returns 72.4% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a broken or weak spring. Windscreen damage and a torn steering gaiter round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 130,068, 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.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    427 occurrences · 6.4% of tests

  2. 02

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    327 occurrences · 4.9% of tests

  3. 03

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    312 occurrences · 4.6% of tests

  4. 04

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    252 occurrences · 3.8% of tests

  5. 05

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    223 occurrences · 3.3% of tests

  6. 06

    A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched

    187 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  7. 07

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    161 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  8. 08

    Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

    128 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  9. 09

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    123 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  10. 10

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    108 occurrences · 1.6% 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.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£228–£610

If every one of this Exeo'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.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · 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

Buying or keeping a Exeo?

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 a Exeo 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.