How many Seat Ateca cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 73,936 licensed and 289 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Seat Ateca generic-model group.
Looking at a Ateca?
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 Ateca is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.
Is the Ateca disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 74,137 in 2025 Q4 and stand at 73,936 in 2026 Q1, flat 0%. That is up 78% in the five years since 2021 Q1.
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.
When it shows up in the statistics
Seat Ateca first appears in the published DfT series in 2016 Q3. Earlier quarters in this file do not include it, so that quarter is not a production start date.
Ateca MOT pass rate
In 2024, 88% of 33,704 Seat Ateca MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 89.7% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 86.4% aged 6–9 years.
- Condition — 2.5% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Mechanical Brake Components — 2.5% of tests. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.
- Tread Depth — 2.4% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
- Headlamp Aim — 1.1% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
Full age bands and failure notes are on the Seat Ateca MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Condition — 2.5% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Mechanical Brake Components — 2.5% of tests in 2024. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.
- Tread Depth — 2.4% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
- Headlamp Aim — 1.1% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Check the actual Ateca — 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.
| Quarter | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q1 | 73,936 | 289 |
| 2025 Q4 | 74,137 | 299 |
| 2025 Q3 | 73,867 | 259 |
| 2025 Q2 | 73,569 | 242 |
| 2025 Q1 | 72,785 | 228 |
| 2024 Q4 | 71,314 | 228 |
| 2024 Q3 | 69,860 | 165 |
| 2024 Q2 | 67,407 | 159 |
| 2024 Q1 | 64,380 | 187 |
| 2023 Q4 | 60,612 | 193 |
| 2023 Q3 | 57,913 | 169 |
| 2023 Q2 | 56,130 | 190 |
| 2023 Q1 | 54,633 | 156 |
| 2022 Q4 | 52,030 | 151 |
| 2022 Q3 | 50,574 | 112 |
| 2022 Q2 | 49,279 | 134 |
| 2022 Q1 | 48,205 | 171 |
| 2021 Q4 | 46,648 | 227 |
| 2021 Q3 | 46,378 | 178 |
| 2021 Q2 | 44,742 | 284 |
| 2021 Q1 | 41,529 | 539 |
| 2020 Q4 | 38,938 | 550 |
| 2020 Q3 | 36,719 | 380 |
| 2020 Q2 | 34,624 | 485 |
| 2020 Q1 | 33,967 | 310 |
| 2019 Q4 | 32,007 | 224 |
| 2019 Q3 | 29,555 | 163 |
| 2019 Q2 | 27,454 | 340 |
| 2019 Q1 | 24,476 | 194 |
| 2018 Q4 | 21,371 | 91 |
| 2018 Q3 | 19,069 | 80 |
| 2018 Q2 | 16,692 | 67 |
| 2018 Q1 | 14,441 | 77 |
| 2017 Q4 | 11,993 | 105 |
| 2017 Q3 | 10,289 | 90 |
| 2017 Q2 | 7,475 | 109 |
| 2017 Q1 | 4,983 | 110 |
| 2016 Q4 | 1,984 | 9 |
| 2016 Q3 | 631 | 0 |
| 2016 Q2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 Q1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 Q4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 Q3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 Q2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 Q1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 Q4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 Q3 | 0 | 0 |
Other Seat models
- Ibiza — 214,197 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Leon — 195,437 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Arona — 83,013 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Alhambra — 23,910 licensed. MOT pass rate
- MII — 18,174 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Altea — 11,474 licensed. MOT pass rate
See how many of every Seat model are left
Common questions
How many Seat Ateca cars are left in the UK?
73,936 were licensed and 289 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.
How many Seat Ateca cars are SORN?
289 are declared SORN, alongside 73,936 licensed, at the end of 2026 Q1.
Is the Ateca disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 74,137 in 2025 Q4 and stand at 73,936 in 2026 Q1, flat 0%. That is up 78% in the five years since 2021 Q1.
When does the Ateca appear in the UK statistics?
Seat Ateca first appears in the published DfT series in 2016 Q3. Earlier quarters in this file do not include it, so that quarter is not a production start date.
What is the Seat Ateca MOT pass rate?
In 2024, 88% of 33,704 Seat Ateca MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.
What does the Ateca fail its MOT on?
The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (2.5% of tests), mechanical brake components (2.5% of tests), tread depth (2.4% of tests).
Does this say whether one Ateca 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.