All generations and engines together · 4,066 MOT tests in the 2025 data
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 4,066 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
The 2.0 TDI shares the EA189 engine family caught up in the VW Group NOx recall, and the mandatory software fix applied at dealers has caused real-world side effects for some owners: engine management light on within a day or two of the update, flashing glow-plug light, cold-morning limp mode, and fuel economy dropping 5-10%. One owner also reported the car cutting out at speed and refusing to restart after the fix. Because this stems from an official recall, it is free to have looked at, but chasing the software gremlins afterwards has taken some owners several trips back to the dealer.
The 143PS 2.0 TDI could be had with the Multitronic CVT auto from 2010/2011. At least one documented case saw the transmission's integrated oil cooler fail at a low 32,000 miles, letting coolant mix with the transmission fluid; repair quotes ranged from around £1,000 up to £10,000 depending on how much damage the contamination had done. It is not a widely repeated fault in the way a DSG mechatronic failure is on other VAG cars, but it is expensive enough that any auto should have its transmission fluid condition checked.
The 2.0 TDI CR engine's move to piezo-controlled injectors from the older pump-duse system improved economy and refinement, but reviewers flagged it as a possible long-term weak point even when the car was still fairly new, and injector condition is one of the things that can be knocked about by the emissions-fix software changes above. There is no clear pattern of widespread injector failure reported yet, more a standing question mark that owners and reviewers keep raising rather than a confirmed fault.
A standard VAG-group ATE Teves Mk60 brake pressure sensor, the same part used across contemporary VW, Audi and SEAT models, has been reported to fail on at least one 2009 Exeo. It is a shared component with a track record of sensor faults elsewhere in the range, so treat any warning light on the dash (ABS, ESP, or brake system) as worth investigating rather than a bespoke Exeo problem.
The Exeo is a re-bodied, Barcelona-built version of the previous-generation Audi A4, and reviewers repeatedly point to that as the reason it drives well and holds together mechanically: proven engines, solid build, and a re-engineered front end for sharper handling. The trade-off is that servicing and replacement parts follow Audi pricing rather than mainstream SEAT pricing, so routine jobs (clutches, suspension components, injectors) tend to cost more out of warranty than the badge suggests.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.