SEAT
Exeo
8,969 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 5.0 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
72.5%
Pass-after-fix
5.1%
Fail
21.8%
Avg miles
135,784
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered before September 2015 are typically pre-Euro 6 — subject to daily charges in London ULEZ (£12.50), Birmingham CAZ (£8), Bristol CAZ (£9), and Glasgow LEZ. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
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.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 8–26
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
8–26
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
521 occurrences · 5.8% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
364 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 03
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
349 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 04
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
311 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 05
A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched
264 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 06
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
256 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 07
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
173 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 08
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
165 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 09
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
152 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 10
A tyre cords visible or damaged
149 occurrences · 1.7% 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
£168–£515
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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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.
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
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Hycote
Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Seat Flash Red 12.5ml
£6.59
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Hycote
Hycote Seat Black Magic Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
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Hycote
Hycote Seat Candy White Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
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Hycote
Hycote Seat Emocion Red Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
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Book a mobile mechanic
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Recall history
3 UK recalls on record.
The Exeo has 3 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Buying or keeping an 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 an 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.