In 2025, 187,131 SEAT Ibiza cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 66% passed first time, compared with 71% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Ibiza worse than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 192 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 3 years old, 88% of Ibizas passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 51% (all cars: 58%). It trails the average car at most ages, most noticeably at 7 years (9 points behind).
SEAT Ibiza All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Ibiza passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 4,673 | 88% | 88% | 24,514 |
| 4 years | 8,445 | 88% | 87% | 31,939 |
| 5 years | 7,517 | 86% | 86% | 38,734 |
| 6 years | 11,607 | 82% | 84% | 44,225 |
| 7 years | 12,948 | 72% | 81% | 52,628 |
| 8 years | 15,704 | 71% | 78% | 58,604 |
| 9 years | 18,115 | 66% | 75% | 66,342 |
| 10 years | 17,743 | 63% | 72% | 72,092 |
| 11 years | 19,005 | 61% | 69% | 79,183 |
| 12 years | 15,849 | 59% | 66% | 88,097 |
| 13 years | 12,745 | 59% | 63% | 92,137 |
| 14 years | 12,704 | 57% | 61% | 97,467 |
| 15 years | 9,390 | 56% | 59% | 101,364 |
| 16 years | 7,644 | 53% | 58% | 102,842 |
| 17 years | 4,451 | 49% | 57% | 104,210 |
| 18 years | 3,003 | 49% | 57% | 102,321 |
| 19 years | 2,039 | 50% | 57% | 101,836 |
| 20 years | 1,101 | 51% | 58% | 99,893 |
What fails most on a SEAT Ibiza
The area that lets the Ibiza down most, relative to other cars, is steering: 5.0% of tests failed on it, 2.3 times the rate for the average car.
Share of Ibiza tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 7.6% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 6.1% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 4.5% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 4.3% |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Steering | 3.6% |
| A tyre seriously damaged | Tyres | 3.5% |
What to check when buying a used Ibiza
Based on where the Ibiza fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Steering: Feel for play or knocking through the wheel, and check power-steering fluid isn’t leaking. More
- Suspension: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, look for leaking shock absorbers, and check the car sits level. Ask whether springs, bushes or drop links have been replaced. Repair guide
- Brakes: Look through the wheels for lipped or scored discs, check the handbrake holds on a slope, and feel for pulling or vibration under firm braking. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific Ibiza
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a IbizaFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a SEAT Ibiza?
In 2025, 66% of SEAT Ibiza cars passed their MOT first time, across 187,131 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 71%.
What do SEAT Ibiza cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (7.6% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (6.1% of tests); tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements (4.5% of tests).
Other SEAT models
SEAT Leon (74%), SEAT Arona (83%), SEAT Ateca (87%), SEAT Alhambra (74%). All SEAT models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.