2025 MOT results
SEAT Arona common problems
The most common reason a SEAT Arona fails its MOT is a worn steering or suspension joint, on 17.1% of its 9,012 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a worn steering or suspension joint at 17.1% of failures against 1.5% expected; a weak or uneven footbrake at 4.4% of failures against 1.0% expected; worn brake discs at 5.9% of failures against 2.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 57,031 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 15.8% 9,012 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 5.5% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 41.2% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a SEAT Arona MOT
Each bar is the share of failed SEAT Arona 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 |
|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Steering | 17.1% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 15.7% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 9.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.8% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 5.9% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.4% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.4% |
| Service brake performance: excessively fluctuating Brakes | 4.4% |
| Washers: not working Visibility | 4.0% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 3.9% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 3.7% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
17.1% of failures 1.5% expected 11.4 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Worn brake pads
15.7% of failures 9.8% expected 1.6 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Cut tyre
9.5% of failures 11.5% expected somewhat less 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.8% of failures 10.8% expected somewhat less often
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.
-
Worn brake discs
5.9% of failures 2.1% expected 2.8 times as often
Discs worn below their minimum thickness, or with a lip or scoring deep enough to matter.
Run a fingernail across the face of the disc: a pronounced lip at the outer edge means wear.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
5.4% of failures 6.8% expected somewhat less 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a SEAT Arona, on 29.5% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 22.1% against 3.0% 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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 29.5% |
| Brakes | 28.2% |
| Steering | 22.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.8% |
| Visibility | 12.5% |
| Suspension | 7.9% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 5.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
41.2% of SEAT Arona tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On SEAT Aronas, 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 |
|---|---|
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 12.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 11.9% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 11.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.5% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 3.7% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.4% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.0% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.5% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 1.4% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 1.1% |
| Service brake performance: fluctuating, but not excessively Brakes | 0.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 0.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
SEAT Arona problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a SEAT Arona?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” is the most common: it appears on 17.1% of failed SEAT Arona tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 29.5% of failed tests.
How often does a SEAT Arona fail its MOT?
15.8% of SEAT Arona tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 57,031 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 44 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a SEAT Arona than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 17.1% of its failures against 1.5% for cars of the same age, and “Service brake performance: excessively fluctuating” appears on 4.4% of its failures against 1.0% 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 Arona 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 | 57,031 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.