Common problems
SEAT Exeo steering problems
How often MOT testers find steering faults on the SEAT Exeo at each age, against all cars of the same age, and which items come up most. From 19,093 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 13 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- At 13 years, 4.9 of every 100 MOTs of the SEAT Exeo found a steering fail (n=4,583), against 2.9 for all cars of that age (n=6,612,160).
- It is above the all-car rate at 5 of the 6 ages with at least 1,000 tests.
- The gap is widest at 15 years: 7.3 per 100 MOTs against 3.3 for all cars.
- The steering fail item recorded most often at 13 years: track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, on 2.3 per 100 MOTs.
- The most common steering advisory or minor defect: track rod end: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt, on 4.3 per 100 MOTs.
Steering fails by age
Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.
| Age | Tests (n) | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 years | 1,588 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 2.4 |
| 11 years | 3,221 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 6.5 | 2.8 |
| 12 years | 4,541 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 8.3 | 3.1 |
| 13 years | 4,583 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 9.0 | 3.5 |
| 14 years | 3,372 | 6.4 | 3.2 | 10.9 | 3.9 |
| 15 years | 1,788 | 7.3 | 3.3 | 13.3 | 4.3 |
Steering fail items at 13 years
| Item | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | 2.3 | 0.3 | £54 to £128 per side (rough guide) |
| Steering track rod end: ball joint play | 1.5 | 1.9 | £54 to £128 per side (rough guide) |
Steering advisories and minor defects at 13 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt | 4.3 | 0.7 | |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play | 2.8 | 1.6 | £54 to £128 per side (rough guide) |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
What to check on a viewing
On the SEAT Exeo, the steering items testers fail most are track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt; steering track rod end: ball joint play.
- The steering should feel tight with no clunks when you turn from lock to lock.
- On a straight road the car should hold its line without constant correction.
- Look for split rubber gaiters on the steering rack and track rod ends.
Ask for the car's MOT history: a steering advisory that repeats from year to year has not been fixed. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the common steering problems on the SEAT Exeo?
At 13 years (4,583 MOTs), the steering fail items testers record most often are track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.3 per 100 MOTs), steering track rod end: ball joint play (1.5 per 100 MOTs). The most common steering advisories or minor defects are track rod end: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (4.3) and track rod end: ball joint has slight play (2.8).
Does the SEAT Exeo have more steering problems than other cars?
At 13 years it has 4.9 steering fails per 100 MOTs against 2.9 for all cars of the same age (2.0 more). It is above the all-car rate at 5 of the 6 ages with enough tests.
What does a steering repair cost on the SEAT Exeo?
For track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, an independent garage estimate is £54 to £128 per side (rough guide). This is a guide built from the national median garage labour rate and estimated labour hours, not a quote.
More on the SEAT Exeo
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a SEAT Exeo?
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
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