51,705 Atecas had an MOT in 2025. 87.8% passed first time, against 82.9% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 4.9 points better than comparable cars. Those registered from 2022 onwards pass more often than other cars their age.
Each dot compares how often Atecas of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 86.0% | +12.2 | 1,882 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 86.3% | +8.8 | 9,506 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 86.5% | +6.3 | 8,928 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 88.1% | +5.0 | 10,792 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 88.6% | +2.6 | 7,821 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 88.3% | +0.8 | 7,501 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 91.1% | +2.4 | 5,275 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
2.6% of Ateca MOTs failed on brakes, against 3.1% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 4.5% on tyres, against 5.5%.
Atecas pass more often than cars of the same age and mileage at every mileage, by 2.6 to 9.2 points. The gap is widest at 90–120k miles.
Diesels passed 86.6% first time, 6.7 points above comparable cars; petrols passed 88.2%, 4.4 points above comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 60,649 miles at the test, against 42,232 for petrols.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 39,289 | 88.2% | 83.9% | +4.4 | 42,232 |
| Diesel | 12,416 | 86.6% | 79.9% | +6.7 | 60,649 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The Ateca ranks 3 of 17.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Honda CR-V | 83,797 | 86.1% | 76.6% | +9.5 | |
| 2. Toyota RAV4 | 65,682 | 86.4% | 80.2% | +6.2 | |
| 3. Seat Ateca | 46,430 | 87.5% | 82.2% | +5.2 | |
| 4. VW Tiguan | 192,059 | 84.2% | 79.0% | +5.2 | |
| 5. Skoda Kodiaq | 36,473 | 86.7% | 82.0% | +4.7 | |
| 6. Skoda Karoq | 51,965 | 88.4% | 84.3% | +4.0 | |
| 7. Ford Kuga | 237,391 | 81.3% | 78.3% | +3.0 | |
| 8. Mazda CX-5 | 58,978 | 80.8% | 78.2% | +2.6 | |
| 9. MG HS | 11,447 | 89.2% | 87.3% | +1.9 | |
| 10. Hyundai Tucson | 135,299 | 82.4% | 81.0% | +1.3 | |
| 11. Kia Sportage | 224,667 | 79.1% | 78.7% | +0.4 | |
| 12. Vauxhall Grandland | 67,355 | 83.2% | 84.2% | −1.1 | |
| 13. Nissan Qashqai | 375,647 | 76.2% | 77.8% | −1.5 | |
| 14. Nissan X-Trail | 65,456 | 74.4% | 76.5% | −2.2 | |
| 15. Peugeot 3008 | 98,935 | 76.8% | 80.0% | −3.2 | |
| 16. Renault Kadjar | 68,595 | 73.5% | 79.3% | −5.8 | |
| 17. Dacia Duster | 64,885 | 69.8% | 80.5% | −10.7 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on Atecas in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 87.8% of 51,705 Ateca MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 82.9% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2016 to 2020: ahead (+2.6 to +12.2 points). 2021: level (+0.8 points). 2022: ahead (+2.4 points).
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of cars of the same age and mileage, or ahead of them.
Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm: 2.0% of Ateca MOTs, against 1.8% for cars of the same age and mileage.
Petrol Atecas passed 88.2% first time and diesels 86.6%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 4.4 points above and diesels 6.7 points above.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the Nissan Qashqai passed 76.2% first time, −1.5 points against comparable cars. The Ateca passed 87.5%, +5.2 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the Ateca's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a Seat Ateca: 55 recorded model names, from "ATECA" to trims such as "ATECA SE TECHNOLOGY TSI EVO".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.