The picture
Altea Xl: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 1,899 MOT tests, the Altea Xl returns 68.1% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a split CV-joint boot. A number-plate lamp out and a broken or weak spring round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 109,360, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
131 occurrences · 6.9% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
113 occurrences · 6.0% of tests
- 03
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
90 occurrences · 4.7% of tests
- 04
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
74 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 05
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
60 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 06
A tyre cords visible or damaged
60 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 07
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
60 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 08
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
56 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 09
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
54 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 10
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
50 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£88–£275
If every one of this Altea XL's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Buying or keeping a Altea XL?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Altea XL and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.