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What to check: SEAT Mii

CBy age

BBy miles

Ranked across all years of the SEAT Mii, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this modelDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 10.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this modelWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 4.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.3%

A binding brakeRuns high on this modelAfter the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 2.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

LeaksRuns high on this modelLook at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 1.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.0%

Cold start and smokeRuns high on this modelAsk the seller not to warm the car up before you arrive, then watch the tailpipe at start-up and again under hard acceleration. Any visible smoke is a negotiation at best. A diesel that has lived on short trips may also be carrying a tired particulate filter.Recorded on 1.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.2%

Steering playWith the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 1.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.1%

Brake pipes underneathFollow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 1.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.9%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourRuns high on this modelCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 23.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 11.1%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 7.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Select first and reverse gear from cold, straight after starting.Crunching or resistance is the synchro-wear complaint owners report on the manual box.

Drive over a rough patch or speed bumps at low speed and listen.Knocks from the suspension match the pattern behind this car's measured MOT suspension failures.

Check the V5C build date against the DVSA recall checker before buying.Cars built June 2013 or Nov 2015 to Apr 2016 need the airbag or child-lock recall work confirmed done.

On a Mii Electric, check it wakes up and charges without needing the ignition cycled first.A car that won't wake from cold or has flickering lights points to the known 12V battery fault.

Ask for cambelt history and a receipt on a 1.0 MPI petrol, not just 'it's a lifetime belt'.No paperwork means budget for one anyway rather than trust the latest interval guidance.

Take a longer test drive through several full-warmth gear changes, not just round the block.Crunching that persists once the car is warm, not just cold, points to a synchro problem that needs sorting.

Check the fuel gauge reading against a known fill-up over a longer drive.Owners report gauges reading emptier than reality, a known but harmless annoyance worth knowing about upfront.

Full SEAT Mii reliability report