SEAT Tarraco Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the SEAT Tarraco fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 12,469 MOT tests across 4 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: family car | Fuel: Diesel, Petrol
89%
SEAT Tarraco pass rate
85%
SEAT average
82%
All-model average
The SEAT Tarraco has an average MOT pass rate of 89%, which is 4 points above the SEAT average and 7 points above the average across all models in our data. The SEAT Tarraco has maintained consistent MOT pass rates across model years, varying by only 2 percentage points.
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What the SEAT Tarraco Fails Its MOT On
Of the 1,110 MOT tests on the SEAT Tarraco that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Tyres
37%Cars and vans the same age: 34% · Typical repair £50-£300
Brakes
21%Cars and vans the same age: 18% · Typical repair £80-£450
Seat belts and airbags
16%Cars and vans the same age: 2.4% (the Tarraco fails on this more often)
Lights and electrics
14%Cars and vans the same age: 24% (the Tarraco fails on this less often) · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
13%Cars and vans the same age: 13% · Typical repair £150-£600
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Tyre tread depth below the 1.6mm limit (16% of failed tests, tyres)
- Airbag (SRS) warning lamp indicates a fault (14% of failed tests, seat belts and airbags)
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick (13% of failed tests, brakes)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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SEAT Tarraco Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Tarraco year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points less often than other cars of the same age.
Passed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points more often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
SEAT Tarraco Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
SEAT Tarraco Running Costs
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SEAT Tarraco FAQ
What are the most common SEAT Tarraco problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the SEAT Tarraco that failed at the first attempt most often failed on tyres (37% of the 1,110 failed tests), brakes (21%) and seat belts and airbags (16%). The single most common fault was "Tyre tread depth below the 1.6mm limit" (16%). Across 12,469 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 89% ended in a pass.
Is the SEAT Tarraco reliable?
The SEAT Tarraco has an average MOT pass rate of 89%, from 12,469 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed within 2 points of other cars of the same age, so about average for its age.
Which SEAT Tarraco years should I avoid?
No SEAT Tarraco year with 1,000+ tests passed 3 or more points less often than all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common SEAT Tarraco faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a SEAT Tarraco typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other SEAT Models
Common problems pages for other SEAT models