SEAT Ibiza - Reliability and safety

SEAT has had a mixed time of things in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. Over the years, the maker has never raised itself out of the bottom half of the manufacturer ranking, although a 15th-place finish out of 30 manufacturers in the 2021 Driver Power poll of best brands was more encouraging. However, results in 2022 saw a slip back to 17th spot, with a lowly 23rd position achieved in 2023.

The SEAT Ibiza is a safe place to be, with every model featuring an autonomous emergency braking function, Lane Assist and a tiredness recognition system. SEAT does offer two individual safety packs at extra cost, with the most comprehensive option (£395) featuring adaptive cruise control, high beam assist, a road sign display and a lane keeping system with traffic jam assist.

Euro NCAP awarded the Ibiza a five-star safety rating in 2022. This included an 83 per cent score for adult occupant protection and 82 per cent for child passenger safety.

Warranty

As with rivals and other members of the VW Group, a new SEAT will be covered by a three-year manufacturer warranty with a 60,000-mile limit. This is very average for the class, and well behind the five and seven-year warranties offered by the likes of Hyundai and Kia. SEAT does offer an extended warranty option, however.

Servicing

Service intervals are every year or 10,000 miles, whichever is sooner, while SEAT offers fixed-price service plans to help manage maintenance costs.