Cupra FORMENTOR
The Cupra FORMENTOR MOT pass rate for cars first registered 2016–2021 is 90.1% across 13,259 official UK DVSA tests. The Cupra Formentor first registered 2016–2021 has a 90.1% MOT pass rate, with 4,103 recorded notes for tyres worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge — so check tread depth and, importantly, tyre edge wear on a viewing. Reviewers keep calling it a stylish, sporty crossover that sits you low and snug and is actually fun to drive, while used listings flag a firm ride and a cabin that is not the roomiest in the class. What the official UK MOT record adds to that picture is an upkeep story: owner-maintenance notes far outnumber systemic ones. While you are down at the tyres, look at the damper bodies for light oil misting.
Unlike a registration check, this report analyses how thousands of similar Cupra FORMENTOR models have performed at MOT over time — not just one vehicle.
- 90.1%
- MOT pass rateshare of recorded tests that passed
- 13k
- MOT tests analysed13,259 official DVSA records
- 14k
- defect notes recorded13,751 · advisory to dangerous
- 2016–21
- registration yearssnapshot 26 September 2026
A fleet outcome for Cupra FORMENTOR models registered 2016–2021 — not a reliability score, and not a verdict on one car. Always check the specific vehicle.
Key findings
What the MOT record says about the Cupra FORMENTOR
- The Cupra Formentor first registered 2016–2021 passed 90.1% of 13,259 official DVSA MOT tests.
- Tyres worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge appear 4,103 times — the most frequently recorded defect note, not a tally of failed tests.
- Shock absorbers with light misting of oil appear 1,817 times, so a slightly damp damper on a viewing is a known fleet-level note.
- Systemic notes are 150 of 13,751 recorded defects; engine MIL inoperative or indicating a malfunction is the repeat systemic wording, at 54 notes.
- Listings sell the Formentor as sharp, engaging and well equipped; the MOT file does not pick a fight with that, but it does make tyres and damper misting the viewing jobs.
Failure breakdown
How Cupra FORMENTOR MOT failures break down
Share of recorded defect notes by category in this age band — not MOT tests and not number of vehicles.
- 75.5%Owner maintenance10,377 notes
- 11.5%Wear & tear1,583 notes
- 1.1%Systemic150 notes
- 11.9%Other1,641 notes
Advisory
11,469
83% of notes
Minor
384
3% of notes
Major
1,211
9% of notes
Dangerous
687
5% of notes
Most common owner-maintenance faults
DVSA wording grouped as owner maintenance for this model and age band.
- 1
Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge
4,103 notes5.2.3 (e)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- Tread is close to (or at) the legal minimum, or wear is concentrated on an edge. That often points to alignment, pressure or suspension issues as well as simple age.
Why it happens
- Under-inflation, poor alignment, aggressive driving or simply delayed replacement push tread below a safe/legal profile.
Buyer tip
- Measure tread across the full width, check tyre age (DOT date) and look for uneven inner-edge wear.
Severity
- Usually maintenance related
- 2
Shock absorbers has light misting of oil
1,817 notes5.3.2 (b)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- A damper mounting bush is worn, which can cause knocks, vague handling and accelerated tyre wear.
Why it happens
- Rubber bushes harden and tear with age, road salt and repeated suspension movement.
Buyer tip
- Listen for clunks over speed bumps and have a mechanic check top mounts and lower bushes.
Severity
- Usually maintenance related
- 3
Windscreen washer not working
144 notes3.5 (a)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- Washer jets are not delivering fluid. Testers need a clear screen; empty reservoirs, blocked jets or failed pumps are common.
Why it happens
- Empty bottles, frozen/blocked jets, split pipes or a failed pump stop fluid reaching the screen.
Buyer tip
- Top up fluid, test the jets on the driveway, and check for cracked bottles or split pipes in the engine bay.
Severity
- Usually maintenance related
- 4
Headlamp aim too low
116 notes4.1.2 (a)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- This MOT defect usually indicates incorrect headlamp alignment following adjustment, suspension movement or repair work.
Why it happens
- Aim drifts after suspension work, bumper repairs, bulb changes or simply from road vibration over time.
Buyer tip
- Check beam alignment during inspection and ask whether the lamps were aimed after any recent suspension or bodywork.
Severity
- Usually maintenance related
- 5
Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault
63 notes7.1.6 (a)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- The airbag/SRS warning lamp indicates a fault. Restraint systems may not deploy correctly in a collision.
Why it happens
- Clock-spring, sensor or module faults — sometimes after prior accident repairs — set SRS warnings.
Buyer tip
- Require a specialist SRS diagnosis — do not accept a bulb removed or lamp covered up.
Severity
- Usually maintenance related
- 6
Tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
33 notes5.2.3 (h)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- The tyre pressure monitoring system is reporting a fault or is clearly not working, so you may not get a dashboard warning of under-inflation.
Why it happens
- Flat battery sensors after tyre changes, damaged valves or control-module faults are common.
Buyer tip
- Confirm whether sensors need replacing after recent tyre or wheel work, and check pressures manually anyway.
Severity
- Usually maintenance related
- 7
Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed
12 notes7.1.2 (b)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- Seat-belt webbing is frayed or lightly damaged, which can weaken the belt in a crash.
Why it happens
- Abrasion at guides, trapped belts or age fray the webbing fibres.
Buyer tip
- Pull each belt fully out and inspect for cuts, fraying and weak retraction.
Severity
- Usually maintenance related
- 8
Reversing lamp inoperative
7 notes4.6.1 (a)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- This wording appears on DVSA MOT records for this model. It flags a tester-observed defect or advisory that can affect safety, legality or a future pass.
Why it happens
- These issues often build up when routine checks are skipped between services — tyres, lamps and washers are typical examples.
Buyer tip
- Ask the seller for invoices covering this item, and have an independent inspector confirm whether it is still present.
Severity
- Usually maintenance related
Most common wear & tear faults
DVSA wording grouped as wear and tear for this model and age band.
No wear-and-tear items in this extract.
Most common systemic faults
DVSA wording grouped as systemic patterns for this model and age band.
- 1
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction
54 notes8.2.1.2 (h)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- The engine management warning lamp is on or not working. Stored faults can affect emissions, drivability and future MOT results.
Why it happens
- Sensors, emissions equipment or wiring faults store codes that illuminate the MIL.
Buyer tip
- Ask for a diagnostic printout and proof that the underlying fault — not just the lamp — was fixed.
Severity
- Often a recurring model pattern
- 2
Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread cracked
2 notes0.1 (b)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- The number plate is cracked, deteriorated or hard to read. Plates must remain legible and securely fitted.
Why it happens
- Age, stone chips, poor replacements or mounts that flex crack or fade plates.
Buyer tip
- Budget for legal replacement plates; check fixing and any bike-rack or tow-bar obstruction.
Severity
- Often a recurring model pattern
- 3
Power steering malfunctioning
2 notes2.1.5 (a)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- Power steering assistance is malfunctioning, making the car heavier and less predictable to steer.
Why it happens
- Low fluid, pump faults, leaks or electric PAS failures remove assistance.
Buyer tip
- Check fluid (if hydraulic), look for leaks, and verify electric PAS warnings on the dash.
Severity
- Often a recurring model pattern
- 4
Rear Anti-lock braking system wiring damaged but not excessively
1 notes1.6 (d)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- The ABS system is reporting a fault or its wiring is damaged. You may lose anti-lock control in an emergency stop.
Why it happens
- Wheel-speed sensors, damaged wiring or module faults set ABS warnings.
Buyer tip
- Scan for ABS codes, check wheel-speed sensor wiring, and do not ignore a lit ABS lamp.
Severity
- Often a recurring model pattern
- 5
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction
1 notes8.2.2.2 (g)What it means, why it happens, what to check
What it means
- The engine management warning lamp is on or not working. Stored faults can affect emissions, drivability and future MOT results.
Why it happens
- Sensors, emissions equipment or wiring faults store codes that illuminate the MIL.
Buyer tip
- Ask for a diagnostic printout and proof that the underlying fault — not just the lamp — was fixed.
Severity
- Often a recurring model pattern
Cupra FORMENTOR research summary
The Formentor is how Cupra planted its flag as more than a sporty Seat badge: a crossover that tries to feel like a hot hatch with extra height. Reviewers keep coming back to the athletic stance, a driving position that drops you low and snug, and the fact it is actually enjoyable on a decent road, with plenty of petrol and hybrid choice. Used listings push the same character — sharp, well equipped, a bit of theatre — next to the usual caveats: a ride that can be too firm, less practicality than some rivals, and climate controls buried in a touchscreen. Reliability talk around the model is mixed; the sales copy never is.
Carmotiq analysed 13,259 official DVSA MOT tests of the Cupra Formentor first registered 2016–2021, covering vehicles in the 5–10 year registration-era band we use for consistent make-and-model comparisons. The pass rate: 90.1%. Of 13,751 recorded defect notes, 10,377 are classed as owner maintenance, 1,583 as wear and tear, 150 as systemic and 1,641 as other. Tyres worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge account for 4,103 of those notes; shock absorbers with light misting of oil add 1,817. Engine MIL inoperative or indicating a malfunction is the systemic wording that repeats, at 54 notes.
For anyone weighing up a used Formentor, treat that as a viewing brief rather than a reason to walk away. Tyre condition is something you can check for yourself: tread depth and, importantly, tyre edge wear — replacing a set can be a meaningful immediate cost. Look for light oil misting on the shock bodies, fire the washers, check headlamp aim, and get an engine or SRS warning lamp diagnosed before you proceed. Then inspect the car in front of you, run an HPI check, and pull that vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK; this page does not replace those.
What this report cannot tell you
This report describes model-level MOT trends, not the condition of any individual vehicle.
Two identical Cupra FORMENTOR models can have very different maintenance histories.
Use it to understand common patterns before inspecting a specific car — then check that car’s own MOT history.
Year by year
Recent category counts
Defect-note totals by calendar year in the serving extract (not MOT tests, not vehicles, not a prediction).
| Year | Owner maintenance | Wear & tear | Systemic | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3,605 | 419 | 49 | 555 |
| 2025 | 4,852 | 814 | 70 | 809 |
| 2026 | 1,882 | 344 | 29 | 275 |
All counts are defect notes.
How we classify MOT faults
We group recorded DVSA defect wording into four research categories to help identify whether issues are more likely to reflect routine maintenance, expected wear, recurring model patterns or miscellaneous inspection outcomes.
- Owner maintenance
- Defects often linked to day-to-day upkeep — tyres, lamps, washers and other items a careful owner can usually prevent or fix promptly.
- Wear & tear
- Age- and mileage-related deterioration that accumulates with normal use, even when a car has been looked after.
- Systemic
- Recurring wording and patterns across the model fleet that may point to design, component or known-model tendencies rather than one careless owner.
- Other
- Inspection outcomes that do not sit cleanly in the three groups above, including mixed or less classifiable defect notes.
Dataset: 13,259 official UK DVSA MOT tests · 13,751 defect notes · 2016–2021 registrations · United Kingdom · snapshot 26 September 2026 · aggregated model-level MOT analysis.
Buying a used Cupra FORMENTOR: practical MOT checks
- 1Measure tyre tread across the full width, including the inner and outer edges, and check the DOT date — edge wear is easy to miss if you only glance at the centre.
- 2Look for light oil misting on the shock absorber bodies at each corner and ask when the dampers were last attended to.
- 3Confirm the engine management light and the airbag (SRS) lamp are out, and that any past warning has been diagnosed rather than just reset.
- 4Fire the windscreen washers and check headlamp aim on level ground; both are one-minute tests that still turn up in this extract.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cupra Formentor MOT pass rate for 2016–2021?
- In this extract, the Cupra Formentor shows a 90.1% MOT pass rate across 13,259 recorded DVSA tests of cars first registered 2016–2021.
What are the most common Cupra Formentor MOT defect notes?
- Of 13,751 recorded defect notes, 10,377 are classed as owner maintenance. The highest-volume wording is tyres worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge (4,103 notes), followed by shock absorbers with light misting of oil (1,817).
Is this the same as checking one Cupra Formentor on GOV.UK?
- No. GOV.UK shows one vehicle. This page aggregates MOT outcomes for the Cupra Formentor make and model in the 5–10 year registration-era band so you can research the model before you shortlist cars.
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