4,116 tests in 2025
SEAT Exeo reliability and MOT pass rate
68.1% passed first time. The 31.9% fail rate is 9.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 14 years old with 137,841 miles.
Pass rate
68.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 31.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
137,841 mi
14 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,259 | 30.4% |
| 14+ years | 2,857 | 32.6% |
What the Exeo 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.
- Suspension36 dangerous41.6%
- Brakes135 dangerous32.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2 dangerous30.4%
- Tyres413 dangerous28.3%
- Steering17 dangerous23.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous15.5%
- Body, chassis, structure11 dangerous10.2%
- Visibility1 dangerous8.1%
Is the Exeo getting worse?
The fail rate rose 6.6 points to 31.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (5.9 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,642 | 11 | 25.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 5,292 | 12 | 28% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,406 | 13 | 29.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,112 | 14 | 31.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Exeo 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 Exeo in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken269 tests
- 2Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction177 tests
- 3Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt156 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working135 tests
- 5Flexible brake hoses: excessively deteriorated132 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm124 tests
- 7Condition: has ply or cords exposed104 tests
- 8Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play87 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Exeo collects 3.04 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 1.6mm976 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened620 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn595 tests
- 4Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened411 tests
- 5Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)365 tests
- 6Flexible brake hoses: excessively deteriorated262 tests
- 7Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn253 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak246 tests
Questions
What is the SEAT Exeo MOT pass rate?
68.1% of the 4,116 SEAT Exeo first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 31.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a SEAT Exeo usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 269 failed tests, followed by "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction" and "Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, suspension appears in 41.6% of failures, brakes appears in 32.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 30.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 32.6%. The median SEAT Exeo tested in 2025 was 14 years old with 137,841 miles.
Is the SEAT Exeo getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 6.6 points to 31.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (5.9 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Exeo 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 3 safety recalls naming the SEAT Exeo: SEAT Exeo recalls.
Other SEAT models
Checking a particular Exeo?
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.