UK vehicle statistics / Seat

How many Seat Altea cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 11,474 licensed and 2,378 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Seat Altea generic-model group.

Looking at a Altea?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular Altea is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Altea disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 31,647 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 11,474 in 2026 Q1, down 64%. That is down 51% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 2,378 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 13,852 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Altea MOT pass rate

In 2024, 58.2% of 11,313 Seat Altea MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 72.3% of cars aged 6–9 years passed first time, against 53.6% aged 15–30 years.

  • Brake Performance — 8.1% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 7.7% of tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Headlamp Aim — 7.4% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 6.6% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Seat Altea MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Brake Performance — 8.1% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 7.7% of tests in 2024. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Headlamp Aim — 7.4% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 6.6% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 64% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 31,647. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual Altea — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q111,4742,378
2025 Q412,0252,368
2025 Q312,5162,303
2025 Q213,0812,295
2025 Q113,6822,252
2024 Q414,2932,226
2024 Q314,8922,187
2024 Q215,5322,131
2024 Q116,1462,080
2023 Q416,8052,000
2023 Q317,3761,927
2023 Q217,9481,869
2023 Q118,5401,862
2022 Q419,1781,801
2022 Q319,7171,750
2022 Q220,3281,730
2022 Q120,9351,724
2021 Q421,4521,733
2021 Q321,9561,686
2021 Q222,6731,658
2021 Q123,2161,680
2020 Q423,7951,620
2020 Q324,3581,529
2020 Q224,8401,511
2020 Q125,1941,475
2019 Q425,8131,326
2019 Q326,3331,199
2019 Q226,8051,122
2019 Q127,3341,058
2018 Q427,795970
2018 Q328,157891
2018 Q228,448846
2018 Q128,889787
2017 Q429,272748
2017 Q329,559651
2017 Q229,885619
2017 Q130,206526
2016 Q430,617463
2016 Q330,561409
2016 Q230,819364
2016 Q131,012345
2015 Q431,266284
2015 Q331,419243
2015 Q231,427189
2015 Q131,538175
2014 Q431,443148
2014 Q331,647173

Other Seat models

See how many of every Seat model are left

Common questions

How many Seat Altea cars are left in the UK?

11,474 were licensed and 2,378 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Seat Altea cars are SORN?

2,378 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 13,852 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Altea disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 31,647 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 11,474 in 2026 Q1, down 64%. That is down 51% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 2,378 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 13,852 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Seat Altea MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 58.2% of 11,313 Seat Altea MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Altea fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are brake performance (8.1% of tests), anti-roll bars (7.7% of tests), headlamp aim (7.4% of tests).

Does this say whether one Altea is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.