2025 MOT results
SEAT Toledo common problems
The most common reason a SEAT Toledo fails its MOT is worn suspension bushes, on 15.5% of its 1,700 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: worn suspension bushes at 15.5% of failures against 4.4% expected; a split joint boot at 7.6% of failures against 4.0% expected; a leaking damper at 5.4% of failures against 3.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 5,312 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 32.0% 1,700 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 61.4% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a SEAT Toledo MOT
Each bar is the share of failed SEAT Toledo 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 | 15.5% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 8.5% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.8% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 7.6% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.1% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.9% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.4% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 5.9% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 5.4% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.4% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Worn suspension bushes
15.5% of failures 4.4% expected 3.5 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.
-
Broken coil spring
8.5% of failures 9.4% expected about as expected
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.
-
Worn brake pads
7.8% of failures 7.3% expected about as expected
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.
-
Split joint boot
7.6% of failures 4.0% expected 1.9 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.1% of failures 8.7% 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.
-
Engine management light on
6.9% of failures 5.5% expected somewhat more 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a SEAT Toledo, on 40.9% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 30.7%.
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 | 40.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 30.3% |
| Tyres | 25.8% |
| Brakes | 25.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 14.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.4% |
| Visibility | 11.1% |
| Steering | 4.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
61.4% of SEAT Toledo tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On SEAT Toledos, 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 | 18.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 15.4% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 12.3% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 10.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.1% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.0% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 7.8% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 3.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.1% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 3.0% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 2.6% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
SEAT Toledo problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a SEAT Toledo?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” is the most common: it appears on 15.5% of failed SEAT Toledo tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 40.9% of failed tests.
How often does a SEAT Toledo fail its MOT?
32.0% of SEAT Toledo tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 5,312 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 42 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a SEAT Toledo than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” appears on 15.5% of its failures against 4.4% for cars of the same age, and “Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 7.6% of its failures against 4.0% 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 Toledo 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 | 5,312 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.