Car statistics
SEAT car statistics
How many SEAT cars are on the road in Great Britain, every SEAT model, its share of new cars over time and which fuels they use, how they do at the MOT and their safety recalls. Built from DVLA licensing records and DVSA MOT results.
- Licensed in Great Britain 602,869 −0.9% on a year earlier
- Rank among makes No. 19 1.8% of licensed cars
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 73.9% Cars of the same ages 75.4%
- New registrations in 2025 22,228 1.1% of all new cars
- Most common fuel Petrol 75.8% of those licensed
- Safety recalls since 1992 62 naming 13 SEAT models
How many SEAT cars are on the road?
There were 602,869 SEAT cars licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 37,876 declared off the road (SORN). That is 1.8% of all licensed cars, or about 1 in 56, making SEAT the No. 19 make on the road. That is 0.8% fewer than the peak of 607,816 in 2024. Petrol makes up 75.8% of licensed SEAT cars, against 54.6% of all cars.
SEAT cars licensed in Great Britain
The highest year-end count was 607,816 in 2024.
| Year | Licensed |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 67,697 |
| 1995 | 75,316 |
| 1996 | 85,359 |
| 1997 | 95,837 |
| 1998 | 106,281 |
| 1999 | 119,684 |
| 2000 | 132,177 |
| 2001 | 150,439 |
| 2002 | 169,191 |
| 2003 | 190,294 |
| 2004 | 211,710 |
| 2005 | 228,651 |
| 2006 | 247,213 |
| 2007 | 267,929 |
| 2008 | 282,205 |
| 2009 | 299,542 |
| 2010 | 317,333 |
| 2011 | 337,117 |
| 2012 | 359,531 |
| 2013 | 385,281 |
| 2014 | 412,285 |
| 2015 | 434,648 |
| 2016 | 457,808 |
| 2017 | 483,911 |
| 2018 | 516,326 |
| 2019 | 554,438 |
| 2020 | 568,595 |
| 2021 | 589,426 |
| 2022 | 590,737 |
| 2023 | 596,810 |
| 2024 | 607,816 |
| 2025 | 605,657 |
| 2026 | 602,869 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Fuel type
SEAT cars
All cars in Great Britain
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
SEAT models
11 SEAT models have a page of their own. The most common is the SEAT Ibiza, with 203,938 licensed: 33.8% of all SEAT cars on the road. Over the last year the Arona added the most cars on the road (+5,489, +7.4%) and the Leon lost the most (−6,014, −3.3%). The totals above also count models too small for a page of their own.
| Model | Licensed | Change on a year | SORN | Main fuel | MOT pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibiza | 203,938 | −0.4% | 14,733 | Petrol | 66.0% |
| Leon | 176,216 | −3.3% | 12,898 | Petrol | 75.8% |
| Arona | 79,665 | +7.4% | 315 | Petrol | 84.2% |
| Ateca | 70,273 | +1.1% | 246 | Petrol | 87.8% |
| Alhambra | 22,196 | −4.5% | 3,027 | Diesel | 74.5% |
| Mii | 17,852 | −1.1% | 256 | Petrol | 75.9% |
| Tarraco | 12,206 | −1.0% | 30 | Petrol | 84.3% |
| Altea | 10,331 | −16.3% | 2,068 | Diesel | 59.1% |
| Toledo | 4,779 | −11.1% | 1,569 | Petrol | 68.0% |
| Exeo | 3,731 | −12.6% | 538 | Diesel | 62.0% |
| Arosa | 1,332 | −19.8% | 1,449 | Petrol | 56.8% |
MOT pass rates are first-time passes of cars aged three and over in 2025. A dash means too few tests, or a model DVSA’s records do not separate from vans.
New SEAT cars registered each year
Registrations of new SEAT cars in Great Britain peaked at 66,901 in 2019. In 2025, 22,228 were registered for the first time: 1.1% of all new cars, against 2.9% in 2019, SEAT’s best year for share of new cars.
Registered for the first time, by year
| Year | First registrations |
|---|---|
| ’01 | 26,029 |
| ’02 | 28,641 |
| ’03 | 33,097 |
| ’04 | 32,812 |
| ’05 | 27,845 |
| ’06 | 31,735 |
| ’07 | 33,912 |
| ’08 | 28,461 |
| ’09 | 28,975 |
| ’10 | 32,021 |
| ’11 | 35,030 |
| ’12 | 37,739 |
| ’13 | 44,154 |
| ’14 | 52,101 |
| ’15 | 46,480 |
| ’16 | 46,231 |
| ’17 | 54,523 |
| ’18 | 61,224 |
| ’19 | 66,901 |
| ’20 | 44,457 |
| ’21 | 42,083 |
| ’22 | 21,712 |
| ’23 | 31,270 |
| ’24 | 35,553 |
| ’25 | 22,228 |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
Share of all new cars
SEAT’s first registrations as a share of every car registered for the first time in Great Britain that year.
| Year | Share of new cars |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1.0% |
| 2002 | 1.1% |
| 2003 | 1.3% |
| 2004 | 1.3% |
| 2005 | 1.1% |
| 2006 | 1.4% |
| 2007 | 1.4% |
| 2008 | 1.3% |
| 2009 | 1.5% |
| 2010 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | 1.8% |
| 2012 | 1.9% |
| 2013 | 2.0% |
| 2014 | 2.1% |
| 2015 | 1.8% |
| 2016 | 1.7% |
| 2017 | 2.2% |
| 2018 | 2.6% |
| 2019 | 2.9% |
| 2020 | 2.7% |
| 2021 | 2.6% |
| 2022 | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.6% |
| 2024 | 1.8% |
| 2025 | 1.1% |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
SEAT MOT reliability
In 2025, 73.9% of MOT tests of SEAT cars were passed first time, from 559,106 tests. Cars of the same ages pass 75.4% of the time, so SEAT does worse than average for the age of its cars, by 1.5 points. That ranks SEAT No. 35 of the 50 makes with enough tests to compare. 7.7% of SEAT tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Among SEAT models with enough tests, the Ateca does best for its age (+4.3 points against cars of the same ages) and the Ibiza does worst (−6.2 points). Average age at test for SEAT cars: 9.2 years.
| Model | Tests | Pass rate | Same ages | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ateca | 51,960 | 87.8% | 83.5% | +4.3 pts |
| Mii | 18,638 | 75.9% | 73.1% | +2.8 pts |
| Leon | 183,647 | 75.8% | 74.8% | +1.0 pts |
| Alhambra | 25,949 | 74.5% | 73.9% | +0.6 pts |
| Exeo | 4,292 | 62.0% | 62.6% | −0.6 pts |
| Arona | 57,031 | 84.2% | 85.5% | −1.3 pts |
| Tarraco | 8,216 | 84.3% | 85.6% | −1.3 pts |
| Altea | 12,318 | 59.1% | 61.8% | −2.7 pts |
| Toledo | 5,312 | 68.0% | 72.4% | −4.4 pts |
| Arosa | 1,698 | 56.8% | 61.3% | −4.5 pts |
| Ibiza | 189,894 | 66.0% | 72.2% | −6.2 pts |
Every make and model ranked by MOT pass rate
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
SEAT safety recalls
DVSA lists 62 safety recalls naming a SEAT car model since 1992, across 13 models. 40 were launched from 2016 to 2025, ranking SEAT No. 19 of the makes with recalls in those years. A recall naming several SEAT models counts once.
Recalls launched each year, 2006 to 2025
| Year | Recalls |
|---|---|
| ’06 | 2 |
| ’07 | 1 |
| ’08 | 0 |
| ’09 | 1 |
| ’10 | 0 |
| ’11 | 1 |
| ’12 | 1 |
| ’13 | 1 |
| ’14 | 1 |
| ’15 | 1 |
| ’16 | 2 |
| ’17 | 6 |
| ’18 | 6 |
| ’19 | 8 |
| ’20 | 3 |
| ’21 | 2 |
| ’22 | 3 |
| ’23 | 3 |
| ’24 | 4 |
| ’25 | 3 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Models with the most recalls
| Model | Recalls |
|---|---|
| SEAT Leon | 22 |
| SEAT Ibiza | 17 |
| SEAT Alhambra | 13 |
| SEAT Ateca | 11 |
| SEAT Toledo | 11 |
| SEAT Altea | 9 |
| SEAT Tarraco | 7 |
| SEAT Arona | 5 |
| SEAT Mii | 4 |
| SEAT Cordoba | 3 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Latest SEAT recalls
- 27 Aug 2025 Passenger airbag replacement SEAT Exeo
- 23 Jul 2025 Takata front drivers or passenger airbag replacement SEAT Altea, SEAT Exeo, SEAT Leon, SEAT Alhambra
- 30 Jun 2025 Passenger airbag replacement SEAT Ibiza, SEAT Arona
- 4 Nov 2024 Passenger airbag replacement SEAT Exeo
- 16 Jul 2024 Drivers side front airbag SEAT Leon, SEAT Altea, SEAT Alhambra
Models mostly registered as vans are left out, as on our recalls hub. A recall applies to vehicles built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every SEAT. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. How we match recalls to models.
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Makes of a similar size
| Rank | Make | Licensed | Change on a year | Main fuel | MOT vs same ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Renault | 885,220 | +0.7% | Petrol | −8.8 pts |
| 17 | Citroën | 787,247 | −3.5% | Petrol | −6.3 pts |
| 18 | Volvo | 751,869 | +5.7% | Diesel | +1.3 pts |
| 19 | SEAT | 602,869 | −0.9% | Petrol | −1.5 pts |
| 20 | Fiat | 597,602 | −3.8% | Petrol | −4.6 pts |
| 21 | Mazda | 568,102 | +0.6% | Petrol | +1.4 pts |
| 22 | Suzuki | 469,774 | +0.7% | Petrol | +1.2 pts |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 37,339,879 car records (licensed and SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
| Registered for the first time | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | 2001 to 2025 | – | 15 September 2026 |
| MOT results | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 29,122,953 car MOT tests | 15 September 2026 |
| Safety recalls | Vehicle safety recalls Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | January 1992 to September 2026 | 7,495 road vehicle recalls (R/) | 15 September 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Make totals count every car DVLA records under the make, including models too small for a page of their own. The rank is among all 525 makes on the record.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
- First registrations count cars registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
- MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over; retests are excluded. The same-ages figure is what all cars would score with this make’s mix of ages.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.