Does the Seat Altea fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?
The Seat Altea records 23.98 lamps, reflectors and electrics failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 26.17 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.19, 95% interval −2.48 to −1.90). It ranks 414 of 729 models on lamps, reflectors and electrics (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on lamps, reflectors and electrics · check a Seat Altea by registration
What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Seat Altea is “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements”, recorded 5,780 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 5,780 | 4.82 |
| A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 4,379 | 3.65 |
| Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 3,655 | 3.05 |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 3,087 | 2.58 |
| Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective | 1,543 | 1.29 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 119,853 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Seat Altea gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?
23.6% of Seat Altea MOTs with a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 6,517 miles later (1,887 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,887 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Seat Altea 2004 · Seat Altea 2005 · Seat Altea 2006 · Seat Altea 2007 · Seat Altea 2008 · Seat Altea 2009 · Seat Altea 2010 · Seat Altea 2011 · Seat Altea 2012 · Seat Altea 2013 · Seat Altea 2014 · Seat Altea 2015 · Seat Altea in Finland · Seat Altea in the Netherlands · Seat Altea by postcode area · Seat Altea body, chassis and structure failures · Seat Altea brakes failures · Seat Altea vehicle identification failures · Seat Altea noise, emissions and leaks failures · Seat Altea road wheels failures · Seat Altea seat belts and airbags failures · Seat Altea steering failures · Seat Altea suspension failures · Seat Altea tyres failures · Seat Altea visibility failures