20.2%
Tyre worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge
A tyre is worn, cut, damaged or otherwise not fit for the road. Tyres are the only thing connecting the car to the road, so this is always worth taking seriously.
CupraUsed-car reliability
How reliable is a used Cupra?
Here's how a used Cupra holds up at the MOT, model by model.
What actually goes wrong
What breaks on Cupra cars
The most common MOT faults across the Cupra range, in plain English. Models with more MOT tests count for more. The percentage is the share of MOT tests on Cupra cars that recorded that defect.
9.8%
Shock absorber / damper
A shock absorber (damper) is worn, leaking, or insecure. Worn dampers cause bouncy handling and longer stopping distances because the tyres lose contact with the road.
MOT wording: Shock absorber has a light misting of oil
7.1%
Tyre slightly damaged, cracking or perishing
A tyre is worn, cut, damaged or otherwise not fit for the road. Tyres are the only thing connecting the car to the road, so this is always worth taking seriously.
6.7%
Brake linings and pads
Brake pads or linings are worn, contaminated, or missing. These are the friction materials that press against the disc or drum to slow the car. When too thin, stopping distances increase.
MOT wording: Brake pads wearing thin
Across all Cupra models; models with more MOT tests count for more.
The whole range
Every Cupra that ranks, in plain English
For each model, one number: the share of its MOT tests at 7 years old that ended in a fail. Retests count as tests. Lower is better. The UK average (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%) is shown for reference. Only models with enough MOT data at 7 years old are ranked. The rest sit just below, unranked.
0 models
Fail rates are the share of MOT tests on 7-year-old cars ending in a fail, retests included (DVSA MOT results, 2025). UK average across all makes at the same age: 16.6%. How we count fail rates
Not directly comparable with the figures at 7 years old
Shown unranked. These models don’t have enough MOT data at 7 years old yet. They’re either too new (few cars old enough) or too old (few still on the road). Each is shown at the age with the most tests, so the percentages aren’t directly comparable to the list above.
Looking at one in particular?
Averages tell you the odds across the range. Enter a number plate to see that car’s own MOT history, its risk rating, and what’s likely to need attention.