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Common problems by part

SEAT Alhambra steering problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 15,571 MOT tests · Updated

At 6 years, 0.3 in 100 MOT tests of the SEAT Alhambra failed on steering, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 15,571 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 40 MOT tests with a fail
  • When it starts: clear of 1.2 times from 16 years and at every older age seen
  • MOT tests at 6 years: 15,571 for the SEAT Alhambra

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.3 fails per 100 MOT tests at 6 years, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

SEAT Alhambra steering fails by age

SEAT Alhambra steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the SEAT Alhambra. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.05103 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.1), 3,584 MOT tests34 years: 0.0 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 6,156 MOT tests5 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 12,188 MOT tests56 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 15,571 MOT tests7 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 15,037 MOT tests78 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 14,365 MOT tests9 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 9,850 MOT tests910 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 7,094 MOT tests11 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 6,109 MOT tests1112 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 4,613 MOT tests13 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 3,404 MOT tests1314 years: 1.5 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 2,566 MOT tests15 years: 4.2 per 100 (all cars 3.3), 1,867 MOT tests1516 years: 6.4 per 100 (all cars 3.4), 1,955 MOT tests17 years: 6.2 per 100 (all cars 3.6), 1,881 MOT tests1718 years: 8.6 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 1,791 MOT tests19 years: 10.0 per 100 (all cars 4.1), 1,494 MOT tests1920 years: 9.7 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 1,107 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. SEAT Alhambra All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
33,5840.10.1
46,1560.00.2
512,1880.20.3
615,5710.30.5
715,0370.30.8
814,3650.41.2
99,8500.51.8
107,0940.62.1
116,1090.82.5
124,6130.62.8
133,4040.92.9
142,5661.53.2
151,8674.23.3
161,9556.43.4
171,8816.23.6
181,7918.63.9
19*1,49410.04.1
20*1,1079.74.2

All first-use years of the SEAT Alhambra pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the steering at 6 years

Advisories (not fails)

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
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See a sample report

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Play in steering rack inner joint(s).

Check one SEAT Alhambra, not the average

The figures here describe SEAT Alhambra cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other SEAT Alhambra problems

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the SEAT Alhambra have more steering problems than other cars?

0.3 in 100 MOT tests at 6 years, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 15,571 MOT tests).

How common are SEAT Alhambra steering problems?

0.3 in 100 MOT tests at 6 years failed on steering, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 15,571 MOT tests).

At what age do SEAT Alhambra steering fails start?

16 years: from then on the rate stays clear of 1.2 times all class 4 vehicles the same age at every age seen, 8,228 MOT tests.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 110,632 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare