SEAT Ibiza common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 190,096 initial MOT tests on the SEAT Ibiza in Great Britain, and 66.0% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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SEAT Ibiza at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 190,096
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 66.0%
Failed at firstIncluding 5.8% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 34.0%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 9.0%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 16,593 off the road (SORN): 214,116

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Ibiza fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Suspension
12.8%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
11.7%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
3Brakes
8.4%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Tyres
7.9%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
5Visibility
5.8%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Body, chassis and structure
4.1%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
7Steering
3.8%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
8Noise, emissions and leaks
3.6%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.0%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.5%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Suspension armsSuspension5.3%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics5.0%
Brake performanceBrakes4.8%
ConditionTyres4.6%
WashersVisibility4.0%
Anti-roll barsSuspension3.6%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks3.5%
Steering linkage componentsSteering3.4%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2023	548	88.1%	2.7%
2022	5,297	88.2%	4.1%
2021	8,473	87.5%	5.1%
2020	8,130	85.8%	6.0%
2019	13,057	82.5%	5.7%
2018	12,951	72.3%	6.6%
2017	15,706	70.8%	9.0%
2016	18,116	66.5%	10.4%
2015	17,746	63.3%	9.8%
2014	19,006	61.4%	10.0%
2013	15,852	59.1%	10.1%
2012	12,751	59.1%	10.0%
2011	12,715	56.8%	10.9%
2010	9,393	55.5%	10.5%
2009	7,644	53.1%	10.2%
2008	4,451	49.1%	11.5%
2007	3,003	49.0%	11.6%
2006	2,039	50.0%	12.0%
2005	1,102	50.9%	11.0%
2004	883	50.2%	7.7%
2003	639	51.0%	10.8%

Mileage

Ibiza mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	21,100 miles	4,522
3 years	28,200 miles	7,304
4 years	34,100 miles	7,783
5 years	39,500 miles	11,326
6 years	46,800 miles	12,063
7 years	55,000 miles	14,233
8 years	61,200 miles	16,996
9 years	67,700 miles	17,150
10 years	74,400 miles	19,019
11 years	82,700 miles	17,214
12 years	89,000 miles	14,143
13 years	94,000 miles	12,510
14 years	98,700 miles	11,198
15 years	101,600 miles	8,551
16 years	103,900 miles	5,771
17 years	103,200 miles	3,596
18 years	100,000 miles	2,528
19 years	98,800 miles	1,469
20 years	93,400 miles	1,021
21 years	93,000 miles	757
22 years	90,200 miles	371

Checking a particular Ibiza?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

SEAT Ibiza: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the SEAT Ibiza?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the SEAT Ibiza was suspension: 12.8% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 9.0% for all cars and vans. Next came lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (11.7%) and brakes (8.4%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the SEAT Ibiza?

66.0% of 190,096 initial MOT tests on the SEAT Ibiza in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 5.8% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the SEAT Ibiza is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 9.0% of initial tests on the SEAT Ibiza found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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