MOT performance
SEAT Ibiza diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 38,876 MOT tests on diesel SEAT Ibizas in 2023–2024 (on average 11.8 years old at test, median 103,891 miles), 57.3% passed first time, against 67.0% of 350,087 petrol SEAT Ibiza tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel SEAT Ibizas failed 16% more often than comparable cars — 1.16× against 1.16× for the SEAT Ibiza as a whole.
38,876 MOT tests on 20,671 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 57.3% | ±0.5 pts (95%), n = 38,876 |
| All SEAT Ibizas | 66.0% | n = 388,964 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.16× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; SEAT Ibiza overall 1.16× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 11.9% | n = 38,876 |
| Average age at test | 11.8 years | n = 38,876 |
| Registration years covered | 1996–2021 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other SEAT Ibiza fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 3.1 years older on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 350,087 | 8.7 yrs | 67.0% | +16% | 9.1% |
| Diesel | 38,876 | 11.8 yrs | 57.3% | +16% | 11.9% |
Where diesel SEAT Ibizas differ
- Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel SEAT Ibizas failed 53% more often than the SEAT Ibiza overall, relative to comparable cars (1.71× vs 1.12×).
- Steering: diesel SEAT Ibizas failed 22% less often than the SEAT Ibiza overall, relative to comparable cars (1.33× vs 1.69×).
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All SEAT Ibizas (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 16.9% (+19%) | 11.7% (+29%) |
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 16.2% (+5%) | 11.8% (+3%) |
| Brakes | 13.8% (+43%) | 8.9% (+36%) |
| Tyres | 9.4% (+22%) | 8.2% (+24%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 7.8% (+51%) | 4.2% (+35%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 7.3% (+37%) | 6.9% (+42%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.3% (+71%) | 3.6% (+12%) |
| Steering | 4.3% (+33%) | 3.2% (+69%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 1.4% (-7%) | 0.9% (+12%) |
| Road wheels | 0.7% (+15%) | 0.5% (+32%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.5% (+17%) | 0.3% (+10%) |
Most common diesel SEAT Ibiza failure items
1 of these 5 items is not among the SEAT Ibiza's ten most common failures overall.
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 4.52% |
| Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 4.14% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 3.92% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 3.78% |
| Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis and structure | 3.68% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 82.5% (582) | 85.7% (42,420) |
| 5-6 | 70.9% (669) | 73.7% (57,006) |
| 7-8 | 63.4% (2,212) | 67.8% (69,487) |
| 9-10 | 59.4% (8,294) | 62.7% (62,096) |
| 11-12 | 57.9% (12,958) | 60.1% (42,798) |
| 13-15 | 53.1% (10,135) | 53.7% (42,751) |
| 16+ | 51.4% (3,981) | 49.3% (20,686) |
SEAT Ibiza by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 2003 SEAT Ibiza · 49.0%
- 2004 SEAT Ibiza · 50.1%
- 2005 SEAT Ibiza · 49.7%
- 2006 SEAT Ibiza · 49.6%
- 2007 SEAT Ibiza · 47.8%
- 2008 SEAT Ibiza · 48.7%
- 2009 SEAT Ibiza · 53.5%
- 2010 SEAT Ibiza · 56.5%
- 2011 SEAT Ibiza · 59.2%
- 2012 SEAT Ibiza · 60.8%
- 2013 SEAT Ibiza · 61.2%
- 2014 SEAT Ibiza · 63.7%
- 2015 SEAT Ibiza · 66.1%
- 2016 SEAT Ibiza · 69.3%
- 2017 SEAT Ibiza · 71.1%
- 2018 SEAT Ibiza · 77.2%
- 2019 SEAT Ibiza · 86.4%
- 2020 SEAT Ibiza · 87.0%
- 2021 SEAT Ibiza · 87.8%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel SEAT Ibiza
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.