Cupra Formentor, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
59,032 Cupra Formentors are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 89.3% of initial MOT tests, 17 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Formentor? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Cupra Formentor at the MOT
89.3% of 15,585 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Formentor 48th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where Formentors fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Cupra Formentor tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (16.4%), shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (13.7%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (11.8%).
The MOT page lists every common Formentor MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Formentor's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.38.6% of Formentor failure items
-
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.16.9% of Formentor failure items
-
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.12.3% of Formentor failure items
Cupra Formentors in the UK
59,032 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Cupra. The number licensed has grown 300% since the end of 2022.
- Change since 2022
- +300%from 14,743 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2023half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2023 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 12,546against 13,719 in 2023
- Declared off the road
- 5110.9% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Cupra Formentors since 2020
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2020 | 109 |
| End of 2021 | 6,455 |
| End of 2022 | 14,743 |
| End of 2023 | 28,035 |
| End of 2024 | 40,852 |
| End of 2025 | 52,758 |
| End of June 2026 | 59,032 |
How old they are
Licensed Cupra Formentors by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 104 were first used before 2021.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12,243 | 12,546 |
| 2024 | 13,179 | 13,619 |
| 2023 | 13,170 | 13,719 |
| 2022 | 7,971 | 8,455 |
| 2021 | 6,088 | 6,472 |
Formentor engines and fuel
1.5 litre engines made up 63% of Cupra Formentor MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 19%. Petrol accounts for 52% of licensed Formentors and plug-in hybrid for 29%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 15,585 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Formentors
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 30,467 | 52% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 17,081 | 29% |
| Hybrid electric | 11,484 | 19% |
Cupra Formentor recalls
10 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Cupra Formentor. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Formentor is affected.
-
Jan 2024 R/2024/026
On certain vehicles with electromechanical brake servo and DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) of a limited production period there is a possibility that a heat protection mat was incorrectly fitted. In individual cases the brake fluid reservoir can melt and cause a brake fluid leak into the engine compartment
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- A check of the installation of the heat protection mat on affected vehicles will be conducted. If necessary the correct heat shield condition will be restored and an additional heat shield installed.
-
Oct 2023 R/2023/294
In certain vehicles within a range of specified VINs it has been detected that an engine support that did not receive the correct heat treatment may have been fitted
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- The fitted engine support must be inspected and if found to be affected the engine support must be replaced.
-
Jul 2023 R/2023/199
Defective wheel supports may fail prematurely and break
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Certain vehicles may be fitted with a wheel support containing cavities in the material.
- Remedy
- Inspect the rear left wheel support and if necessary replace the knuckle.
-
Feb 2023 R/2023/047
There is a possibility that impact sensors for rear airbags have been installed that do not correspond to the documented parts
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Inspect the vehicle and if necessary replace the impact sensors.
-
Jun 2022 R/2022/185
The wiring harness of the airbag control unit may possibly have been caught by the clutch pedal during installation
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility that the wiring harness of the airbag control unit was caught by the clutch pedal during installation.
- Remedy
- The correct position of the airbag control unit wiring harness must be checked and if required secured in the correct position. Repair any existing damage as necessary.
-
Apr 2022 R/2022/088
In some vehiclesthe fuse in the high-voltage system has been produced in part with an insufficient amount of extinguishing sand
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- In some vehicles the fuse in the high-voltage system has been produced in part with an insufficient amount of extinguishing sand.
- Remedy
- An insulating mat must be placed above the switching unit for the high-voltage battery in all of the affected vehicles.
-
Mar 2022 R/2022/076
Engine design covers could detach from their fixing
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- In some vehicles within the range of specified VINs it is possible that they have engine design covers installed that could detach from their fixing depending on use (very sporty driving or poor road conditions) and the operating time.
- Remedy
- The engine design cover must be removed on all affected vehicles.
-
Sep 2021 R/2021/322
The input rod bolt connection between the electronic brake servo and the brake pedal may come loose
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The bolted connection of the pull rod between the electromechanical brake servo and brake pedal may come loose resulting in a loss of all service braking ability.
- Remedy
- Vehicles are not to be driven and the bolted connection of the input rod between the electromechanical brake servo and brake pedal must be checked and if necessary retightened.
Other Cupra models
The most-tested Cupra models in 2025, against the Formentor's 89.3% MOT pass rate.
Cupra Formentor FAQs
How many Cupra Formentors are there in the UK?
59,032 Cupra Formentors were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 511 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Cupra Formentor reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 89.3% first-time pass rate for the Cupra Formentor across 15,585 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Cupra Formentor had any recalls?
10 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Cupra Formentor. The most recent was published in January 2024. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Cupra Formentor?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Cupra Formentor's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Formentor?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Cupra history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Cupra VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.