7,631 tests in 2025
SEAT Tarraco reliability and MOT pass rate
86.3% passed first time. The 13.7% fail rate is 8.9 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 6 years old with 46,202 miles.
Pass rate
86.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 13.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
46,202 mi
6 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 3,690 | 12.8% |
| 6-9 years | 3,882 | 14.6% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Tarraco 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.
- Tyres442 dangerous43.2%
- Brakes192 dangerous22.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems14.8%
- Suspension25 dangerous13.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3 dangerous9.5%
- Visibility9.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous8.1%
- Body, chassis, structure4 dangerous2.1%
Is the Tarraco getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 14.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,397 | 3 | 11.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 6,315 | 4 | 12.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 5,590 | 5 | 12.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 6,368 | 6 | 14.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Tarraco 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 Tarraco in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm203 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick144 tests
- 3Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords143 tests
- 4SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault133 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn82 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction78 tests
- 7Condition: has ply or cords exposed64 tests
- 8Brake pads: worn down to wear indicator52 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Tarraco collects 2.35 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 1.6mm1,306 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick962 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened656 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure635 tests
- 5Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt555 tests
- 6Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak278 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn274 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre242 tests
Questions
What is the SEAT Tarraco MOT pass rate?
86.3% of the 7,631 SEAT Tarraco first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 13.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a SEAT Tarraco usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 203 failed tests, followed by "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick" and "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords". By section, tyres appears in 43.2% of failures, brakes appears in 22.8% of failures, seat belts and supplementary restraint systems appears in 14.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 12.8%; at 6-9 years it was 14.6%. The median SEAT Tarraco tested in 2025 was 6 years old with 46,202 miles.
Is the SEAT Tarraco getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 14.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 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 Tarraco 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 7 safety recalls naming the SEAT Tarraco: SEAT Tarraco recalls.
Other SEAT models
Checking a particular Tarraco?
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.