24,360 tests in 2025
SEAT Alhambra reliability and MOT pass rate
78.5% passed first time. The 21.5% fail rate is 1.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 9 years old with 97,195 miles.
Pass rate
78.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 21.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
97,195 mi
9 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 755 | 12.1% |
| 6-9 years | 14,079 | 16.3% |
| 10-13 years | 6,375 | 26.2% |
| 14+ years | 3,151 | 37.1% |
What the Alhambra fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension102 dangerous44.4%
- Tyres2,398 dangerous40.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6 dangerous21.1%
- Brakes574 dangerous19.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous11.8%
- Body, chassis, structure27 dangerous10.8%
- Visibility8.4%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems4 dangerous5.2%
Is the Alhambra getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 21.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.5 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 29,234 | 6 | 21.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 28,815 | 7 | 21.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 24,200 | 8 | 21.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 24,355 | 9 | 21.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Alhambra at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Alhambra in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,101 tests
- 2Condition: has ply or cords exposed916 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm587 tests
- 4Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction496 tests
- 5Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords470 tests
- 6Coil spring: fractured or broken459 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick384 tests
- 8Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt297 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Alhambra collects 2.89 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm5,160 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn4,255 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,415 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,027 tests
- 5Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened1,162 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,114 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened1,088 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt1,033 tests
Questions
What is the SEAT Alhambra MOT pass rate?
78.5% of the 24,360 SEAT Alhambra first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 21.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a SEAT Alhambra usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded on 1,101 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has ply or cords exposed" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, suspension appears in 44.4% of failures, tyres appears in 40.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 21.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 12.1%; at 14+ years it was 37.1%. The median SEAT Alhambra tested in 2025 was 9 years old with 97,195 miles.
Is the SEAT Alhambra getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 21.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.5 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Alhambra trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 13 safety recalls naming the SEAT Alhambra: SEAT Alhambra recalls.
Other SEAT models
Checking a particular Alhambra?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.