176,274 tests in 2025
SEAT Ibiza reliability and MOT pass rate
71.7% passed first time. The 28.3% fail rate is 5.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 69,468 miles.
Pass rate
71.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 28.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
69,468 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 19,955 | 10.6% |
| 6-9 years | 55,085 | 23.8% |
| 10-13 years | 60,964 | 32% |
| 14+ years | 39,749 | 37.9% |
What the Ibiza 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.
- Suspension1,319 dangerous45.2%
- Brakes5,397 dangerous29.4%
- Tyres14,736 dangerous27%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment79 dangerous26.7%
- Visibility19 dangerous14.7%
- Body, chassis, structure280 dangerous13.8%
- Steering151 dangerous13.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks25 dangerous11.9%
Is the Ibiza getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3.2 points to 28.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 194,675 | — | 25.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 194,615 | — | 27.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 167,653 | — | 28.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 175,204 | — | 28.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Ibiza 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 Ibiza in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn7,495 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm5,549 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken4,949 tests
- 4Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak4,416 tests
- 5Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt3,661 tests
- 6Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements3,597 tests
- 7Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt3,077 tests
- 8Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect2,905 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Ibiza collects 2.64 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 1.6mm31,867 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened19,523 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure17,916 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn17,413 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak17,073 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick10,350 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine10,081 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases8,003 tests
Questions
What is the SEAT Ibiza MOT pass rate?
71.7% of the 176,274 SEAT Ibiza first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 28.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a SEAT Ibiza usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded on 7,495 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 45.2% of failures, brakes appears in 29.4% of failures, tyres appears in 27% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.6%; at 14+ years it was 37.9%. The median SEAT Ibiza tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 69,468 miles.
Is the SEAT Ibiza getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3.2 points to 28.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 Ibiza 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 17 safety recalls naming the SEAT Ibiza: SEAT Ibiza recalls.
Other SEAT models
Checking a particular Ibiza?
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.