Used car guide

2012 SEAT Alhambra: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the SEAT Alhambra first registered in 2012: we looked at the 4,173 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

4,173MOTs of 2012 cars, done in 2023–2025
66%pass first time (all 2012 cars: 64%)
9,400typical miles a year
2.7×the usual rate for suspension arm bushes and joints

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2012 SEAT Alhambra?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2012 SEAT Alhambra than on all cars registered in 2012.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints2.7× usual
    SEAT Alhambra
    25% All 2012 cars
    9.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 6.1%, against 1.9% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Suspension arm5.5× usual
    SEAT Alhambra
    10.5% All 2012 cars
    1.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.5%, against 0.2% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Engine warning light3.1× usual
    SEAT Alhambra
    5.3% All 2012 cars
    1.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 5.3%, against 1.7% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Link ball joint covers2.7× usual
    SEAT Alhambra
    5.3% All 2012 cars
    2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.5%, against 1.1% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

Better than most

Number plate lights: 2.1% here, against 6.7% of all 2012 cars. Exhaust system: 1.5% here, against 5% of all 2012 cars.

Common 2012 SEAT Alhambra MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2012 SEAT Alhambra MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    46% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Tyres
    38% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    26% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    16% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    5% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Known faults on the 2012 SEAT Alhambra

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

  • DSG gearbox problems (early cars)

    DSG automatic

    Some early cars had problems with the DSG automatic gearbox.

    At the viewing: Make sure it changes smoothly with no jerks or hesitation, and look for gearbox work in the paperwork.

    Source: What Car?: Seat Alhambra (2011-2020) reliability

  • Air con and sat nav electrical faults

    All engines

    Most reported problems are electrical failures of the air con or sat nav.

    At the viewing: Test the air con and the sat nav.

    Source: What Car?: Seat Alhambra (2011-2020) reliability

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2012 SEAT Alhambra

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the suspension arm bushes and joints? (Flagged at MOT 2.7× as often on the 2012 SEAT Alhambra as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the suspension arm? (Flagged at MOT 5.5× as often on the 2012 SEAT Alhambra as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the engine warning light? (Flagged at MOT 3.1× as often on the 2012 SEAT Alhambra as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a SEAT Alhambra?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the SEAT Alhambra compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2021–Too few tests
20202,457Tyres 31%
20197,906Tyres 30%
20187,520Tyres 30%
201717,866Tyres 31%
201612,499Tyres 32%
20156,472Tyres 36%
20145,532Tyres 37%
20134,604Suspension 40%
20113,622Suspension 50%
20101,042Suspension 54%
2009967Suspension 60%
20081,374Suspension 61%
20071,291Suspension 64%
20061,064Suspension 62%
2005860Suspension 65%
20041,069Suspension 65%
2003654Suspension 65%
2002260Suspension 64%
2001114Suspension 56%
2000–Too few tests
1999–Too few tests
1998–Too few tests
1997–Too few tests
1996–Too few tests

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, counting the MOTs of SEAT Alhambra cars first registered in 2012. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score