MOT fail rates by first-use year

2003 SEAT Ibiza MOT fail rate and common faults

How SEAT Ibiza cars first used in 2003 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2023, against all cars of the same age. From 2,846 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 20 years, tested in 2023

MOT fail rate at age 20 (n=1,239)51.3%

All cars at 20 years (n=1,845,952)42.8%

Difference+8.5 pts

MOT tests of 2003 cars, 2022 to 20232,846

What stands out

In 2023, at 20 years old, SEAT Ibiza cars first used in 2003 failed 51.3% of MOTs (1,239 tests), 8.5 points above the 42.8% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2023, as these cars went from 19 to 20 years old, the fail rate moved from 50.7% to 51.3%.
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the SEAT Ibiza at 20 years, is driveshaft CV boot split, at 7.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

SEAT Ibiza cars first used in 2003: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	19 years	50.7%	1,607	43.2%	+7.5 pts
2023	20 years	51.3%	1,239	42.8%	+8.5 pts

Most common faults at 20 years

These figures cover all SEAT Ibiza MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,100). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Driveshaft CV boot split	7.6	3.1
Brake light not working Wear	7.1	3.9
Side/position light not working Wear	6.8	5.2
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault	5.3	2.5
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	4.7	3.4
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	4.4	2.2
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	4.4	4.0
Coil spring broken	4.3	2.6
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.4	2.6
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	3.4	1.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,100). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	18.7	15.7
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	12.5	14.1
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	11.9	10.2
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	10.6	5.4
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	9.5	10.7
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	9.5	3.8
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	8.4	7.7
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	7.4	6.2
Coil spring: corroded	6.5	8.0
Headlamp: lens slightly defective Wear	6.3	4.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,100). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 20 years

These figures cover all SEAT Ibiza MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,100). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	84.8%	49.7%	3,475	42.5%	88,528 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 20 years

These figures cover all SEAT Ibiza MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,100). At 20 years, SEAT Ibiza cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (53.9%, n=1,164) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (47.4%, n=1,164). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles	47.4%	1,164	41.3%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	53.9%	1,164	45.5%

Car tax rules for a 2003 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Many petrol cars first registered from 2001 to 2005 already meet Euro 4, but not all of them. For a 2003 petrol car the Euro standard of that car decides.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2003 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the SEAT Ibiza

2004 SEAT Ibiza

Other SEAT models first used in 2003

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
SEAT Leon (2003)	21 years in 2024	38.3%	1,066	42.1%

More on the SEAT Ibiza

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2003 SEAT Ibiza cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.