2025 MOT results
SEAT Exeo common problems
The most common reason a SEAT Exeo fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 17.4% of its 1,631 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a worn steering or suspension joint at 9.9% of failures against 1.0% expected; the engine management light on at 14.0% of failures against 4.9% expected; a broken coil spring at 17.4% of failures against 11.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 4,292 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 38.0% 1,631 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 68.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a SEAT Exeo MOT
Each bar is the share of failed SEAT Exeo 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 (10 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 |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 17.4% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 14.0% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.1% |
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Steering | 9.9% |
| Flexible brake hoses: excessively deteriorated Brakes | 8.8% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.5% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.2% |
| Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 5.5% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 5.5% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.3% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 5.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Broken coil spring
17.4% of failures 11.1% expected 1.6 times as 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.
-
Engine management light on
14.0% of failures 4.9% expected 2.9 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.
-
Sidelight out
12.1% of failures 12.3% expected about as expected
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
9.9% of failures 1.0% expected 9.9 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.
-
Corroded brake pipes
8.8% of failures
Corroded or damaged brake pipework. It is a safety item, and on older cars the rear pipes go first.
Look along the pipes under the sills with a torch; flaking rust rather than surface staining is the problem.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
8.0% of failures 7.5% 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a SEAT Exeo, on 37.4% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 19.7% against 8.1% 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 |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 37.4% |
| Suspension | 35.4% |
| Brakes | 27.7% |
| Tyres | 24.0% |
| Steering | 19.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 15.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9.4% |
| Visibility | 9.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
68.6% of SEAT Exeo tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On SEAT Exeos, 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 | 26.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 15.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 13.2% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 10.0% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 8.9% |
| Flexible brake hoses: slightly deteriorated Brakes | 6.4% |
| Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 6.2% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 5.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 5.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 4.9% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.4% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
SEAT Exeo problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a SEAT Exeo?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 17.4% of failed SEAT Exeo tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 37.4% of failed tests.
How often does a SEAT Exeo fail its MOT?
38.0% of SEAT Exeo tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 4,292 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 Exeo 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 9.9% of its failures against 1.0% for cars of the same age, and “Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction” appears on 14.0% 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 Exeo 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 | 4,292 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.