SEAT
10,268 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Toledos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 3.1 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
74.4%
Pass-after-fix
4.1%
Fail
20.8%
Avg miles
109,227
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 10,261 tests
Pass rate climbs 10.2 points across the cohorts — newer Toledo examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
73.3%
Fail
21.6%
PRS
4.3%
Avg mileage at test
115,222 mi
Pass
83.5%
Fail
13.5%
PRS
2.9%
Avg mileage at test
59,498 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 8,245 MOT tests, the Toledo returns 74.7% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a split CV-joint boot. Worn suspension bushes and a broken or weak spring round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 106,041, 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
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
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A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
405 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
371 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
239 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
236 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
226 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
160 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
152 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
149 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
144 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
132 occurrences · 1.3% 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 2 failures
£140–£335
If every one of this Toledo'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 10.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy SEAT Toledo has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
83.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 83.5% — a 10.2-point improvement. Tests in this band average 59,498 miles — roughly 56K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: pin or bush excessively worn, has a tear, caused by separation or… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
73.3%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 73.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 83.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated, pin or bush excessively worn, and constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…. Average mileage on test for this band is 115,222 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (83.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (73.3% pass). That's a 10.2-point spread across 9,163 older tests and 1,098 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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Recall history
The Toledo has 10 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 Toledo 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.
