MOT Intelligence
Seat MOT Failures & Common Issues
The components UK cars most commonly fail their MOT on, plus the known issues to watch for on a Seat. Check any car's full MOT history free in seconds.
~76%
Avg Pass Rate (UK)
~1.4
Avg Failures/Test (UK)
~2.1
Avg Advisories (UK)
Most Common MOT Failure Categories
Typical across all UK cars — a useful guide to what to check first.
Lighting
31%
LOW
Tyres
22%
HIGH
Brakes
18%
HIGH
Suspension
14%
MEDIUM
Emissions
9%
MEDIUM
Steering
6%
HIGH
Common Issues — Seat
Timing chain tensioner failure (TSI/TFSI)HIGH
£500–£1,500 · Common on 1.8/2.0 TSI 2008–2014
Petrol1.7L–2.1L2008–2014
Timing chain tensioner failure (1.4 TSI)HIGH
£600–£1,500 · Early 1.4 TSI twincharger petrol
Petrol1.4L–1.4L2007–2014
Timing chain stretch (1.2 TSI)HIGH
£600–£1,300 · On early 1.2 TSI petrol (EA111)
Petrol1.1L–1.3L2010–2015
Camshaft & injector wear (PD TDI)HIGH
£800–£2,500 · On 1.9/2.0 PD "Pumpe Düse" TDI 2004–2008
Diesel1.9L–2.0L2003–2009
Fuel-pump cam-follower wear (2.0 FSI/TFSI)HIGH
£300–£900 · HPFP cam follower wears through on early 2.0 FSI/TFSI (BWA/BPY)
Petrol1.9L–2.0L2004–2010
DSG (DQ200) dry-clutch gearbox shudderMEDIUM
£150–£600 · Common on 7-speed dry-clutch DSG
Auto / DSG2008–2018
Excess oil consumption (EA888 TSI)MEDIUM
£100–£300/yr · Common on 2008–2013 2.0 TSI
Petrol1.9L–2.1L2008–2013
Water pump / thermostat housing leakMEDIUM
£300–£700 · Common on 1.4 TSI
Petrol1.3L–1.5L
EGR valve / AdBlue (SCR) system faultsMEDIUM
£200–£700 · Common on post-2015 TDI diesels
Diesel2015–now
DPF regeneration issues (short journeys)MEDIUM
£300–£1,000 · Common on diesels used for short trips
Diesel2009–now
Dual-mass flywheel wearMEDIUM
£600–£1,100 · Wear item on manual diesels
DieselManual
High oil consumption (2.0 TSI)MEDIUM
£400–£2,000 · Piston-ring wear on early EA888 2.0 TSI
Petrol1.9L–2.0L2008–2013
EGR / DPF faults (2.0 TDI)MEDIUM
£300–£1,200 · Common on 2.0 TDI diesels used for short trips
Diesel1.9L–2.0L
EGR / DPF faults (1.6 TDI)MEDIUM
£300–£900 · On 1.6 TDI diesels used for short trips
Diesel1.6L–1.6L
Inlet-valve carbon build-up (FSI/TFSI direct injection)MEDIUM
£250–£600 · Direct-injection petrol — periodic walnut-blast clean
Petrol2006–now
Coil packs, diverter valve & oil sludge (1.8T 20v)MEDIUM
£150–£700 · Coil-pack failures, N249 diverter valve & sludge if servicing skipped
Petrol1.8L–1.8L–2010
Cam-chain tensioner wear (1.8T 20v)MEDIUM
£300–£800 · Inter-cam chain tensioner can rattle/fail on the 1.8T 20v
Petrol1.8L–1.8L–2010
Rear wheel bearings & power-steering faults (Ibiza 6L)MEDIUM
£150–£500 · Rear beam bearings & electro-hydraulic PAS on the 6L Ibiza
IBIZA2002–2008
Turbo VNT actuator, EGR & MAF faults (1.9 TDI)MEDIUM
£200–£900 · Sticking VNT turbo (overboost/limp mode), EGR sooting & MAF wear on the 1.9 TDI
Diesel1.9L–1.9L–2010
Inlet manifold soot & swirl-flap blockage (1.9 TDI)MEDIUM
£150–£600 · EGR/inlet manifold coking on later 1.9 TDI (BLS/BXE)
Diesel1.9L–1.9L2005–2010
Based on commonly reported faults for this make/model. Individual vehicles vary — run a check for the full MOT and mileage history of a specific car.
Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Check all lights are operational before the test drive
Inspect tyre tread depth on all four corners
Test brake pedal feel and stopping performance
Listen for suspension knocks over speed bumps
Request the full MOT history from the seller (or run a free check here)
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