2025 MOT results
SEAT Tarraco common problems
The most common reason a SEAT Tarraco fails its MOT is a tyre worn below the legal limit, on 17.2% of its 1,291 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: the airbag light on at 13.2% of failures against 1.0% expected; a braking fault at 4.4% of failures against 1.1% expected; worn suspension bushes at 6.8% of failures against 1.8% expected.
- Tests in 2025 8,216 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 15.7% 1,291 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 46.2% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a SEAT Tarraco MOT
Each bar is the share of failed SEAT Tarraco 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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 17.2% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 13.4% |
| SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 13.2% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 12.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.8% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 5.5% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.4% |
| Brake pads: worn down to wear indicator Brakes | 4.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.2% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.3% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 2.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
17.2% of failures 11.0% expected 1.6 times as 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 pads
13.4% of failures 10.2% expected somewhat more 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.
-
Airbag light on
13.2% of failures 1.0% expected 13.2 times as often
The airbag warning light shows a fault in the restraint system.
Common causes are a seat belt buckle sensor, or a wiring loom under a front seat.
-
Cut tyre
12.0% of failures 12.4% expected about as expected
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.
-
Engine management light on
7.0% of failures 4.1% expected 1.7 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.
-
Worn suspension bushes
6.8% of failures 1.8% expected 3.8 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a SEAT Tarraco, on 38.2% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is seat belts and supplementary restraint systems, on 15.0% against 2.5% 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 | 38.2% |
| Brakes | 21.3% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 15.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.3% |
| Suspension | 11.6% |
| Visibility | 10.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.7% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
46.2% of SEAT Tarraco tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On SEAT Tarracos, 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 | 19.3% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 12.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.4% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 7.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 3.5% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 3.5% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 3.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.1% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.7% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 1.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 0.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
SEAT Tarraco problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a SEAT Tarraco?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm” is the most common: it appears on 17.2% of failed SEAT Tarraco tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 38.2% of failed tests.
How often does a SEAT Tarraco fail its MOT?
15.7% of SEAT Tarraco tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 8,216 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 Tarraco than on other cars?
Yes. “SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault” appears on 13.2% of its failures against 1.0% for cars of the same age, and “Brake pads: worn down to wear indicator” appears on 4.4% of its failures against 1.1% 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 Tarraco 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 | 8,216 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.