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1997 SEAT Cordoba — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
50.0%
Latest Pass Rate
2,849
Total Tests (All Years)
114,343 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 20

This car: 50.0%
Average: 56.6%

⚠️ 6.6% below average (6824 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 SEAT Cordoba as it ages.

12 yrs41.9%
13 yrs45.6%
14 yrs41.7%
15 yrs41.0%
16 yrs37.5%
17 yrs41.8%
18 yrs45.7%
19 yrs41.2%
20 yrs50.0%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 20 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs41.9%915
13 yrs45.6%665
14 yrs41.7%456
15 yrs41.0%317
16 yrs37.5%200
17 yrs41.8%134
18 yrs45.7%81
19 yrs41.2%51
20 yrs50.0%30

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 SEAT Cordoba pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 9 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (20 yrs)50%30
2016 (19 yrs)41.2%51
2015 (18 yrs)45.7%81
2014 (17 yrs)41.8%134
2013 (16 yrs)37.5%200
2012 (15 yrs)41%317
2011 (14 yrs)41.7%456
2010 (13 yrs)45.6%665
2009 (12 yrs)41.9%915

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
41.9%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 915Avg Mileage 94,944Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 37.9%
2010High Fail Rate
45.6%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 665Avg Mileage 101,399Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 33.7%
2011High Fail Rate
41.7%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 456Avg Mileage 101,796Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 36.8%
2012High Fail Rate
41.0%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 317Avg Mileage 105,626Top Failure Suspension — 36.9%
2013High Fail Rate
37.5%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 200Avg Mileage 100,676Top Failure Suspension — 90.0%
2014High Fail Rate
41.8%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 134Avg Mileage 102,155Top Failure Suspension — 98.5%
2015High Fail Rate
45.7%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 81Avg Mileage 107,462Top Failure Suspension — 74.1%
2016High Fail Rate
41.2%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 51Avg Mileage 110,328Top Failure Suspension — 137.3%
2017High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 30Avg Mileage 114,343Top Failure Suspension — 70.0%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 SEAT Cordoba, with age trends.

Suspension
66.5%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
48.1%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
42.8%
— Consistent
Tyres
27.6%
↑ Increases with age
Seat Belts and Supplementary Restraint Systems
27.5%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension27.8% (12 yrs)70.0% (20 yrs)
+42.2%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment37.9% (12 yrs)46.7% (20 yrs)
+8.8%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions18.6% (12 yrs)26.7% (20 yrs)
+8.1%
🔴 ↑
Tyres20.7% (12 yrs)26.7% (20 yrs)
+6.0%
🔴 ↑
Brakes28.7% (12 yrs)26.7% (20 yrs)
-2.0%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the SEAT Cordoba page →

About This Data

This page shows how SEAT Cordoba cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 2,849 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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