2025 MOT results
SEAT Alhambra common problems
The most common reason a SEAT Alhambra fails its MOT is worn suspension bushes, on 17.0% of its 6,623 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: worn suspension bushes at 17.0% of failures against 4.4% expected; a tyre worn through to the cords at 15.0% of failures against 4.9% expected; an indicator repeater out at 4.0% of failures against 1.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 25,949 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 25.5% 6,623 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 9.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 54.8% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a SEAT Alhambra MOT
Each bar is the share of failed SEAT Alhambra tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 17.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 15.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 9.8% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 7.8% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 7.5% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.3% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.1% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 4.8% |
| Side repeaters: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.0% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 4.0% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn suspension bushes
17.0% of failures 4.4% expected 3.9 times as often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
15.0% of failures 4.9% expected 3.1 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Engine management light on
10.5% of failures 5.4% expected 1.9 times as often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
9.8% of failures 8.7% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Cut tyre
7.8% of failures 5.2% expected 1.5 times as often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Broken coil spring
7.5% of failures 9.2% expected somewhat less often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a SEAT Alhambra, on 37.8% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is tyres, on 35.8% against 24.8% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 37.8% |
| Tyres | 35.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 26.9% |
| Brakes | 17.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.4% |
| Visibility | 9.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9.5% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
54.8% of SEAT Alhambra tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On SEAT Alhambras, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 24.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 16.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 10.0% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.3% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 4.6% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.5% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 4.3% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.7% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.8% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 2.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
SEAT Alhambra problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a SEAT Alhambra?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” is the most common: it appears on 17.0% of failed SEAT Alhambra tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 37.8% of failed tests.
How often does a SEAT Alhambra fail its MOT?
25.5% of SEAT Alhambra tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 25,949 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 50 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a SEAT Alhambra than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” appears on 17.0% of its failures against 4.4% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” appears on 15.0% of its failures against 4.9% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a SEAT Alhambra aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 25,949 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.