Common problems
SEAT Leon common problems
What MOT testers find on the SEAT Leon: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 739,732 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 6 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Suspension fails show up on 5.6 of every 100 MOTs of a SEAT Leon at 6 years old (n=74,889), against 2.9 for all cars of that age (n=10,382,720).
- Lights and electrics fails are less common: 2.9 per 100 MOTs against 4.7 for all cars at the same age.
- The fail item testers record most often at 6 years: coil spring broken, on 3.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars 1.0).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: shock absorbers: has light misting of oil, on 19.1 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 6 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 6.5 | 5.6 | 25.5 | 24.3 |
| Suspension | 5.6 | 2.9 | 20.4 | 6.1 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 3.8 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 3.1 |
| Brakes | 3.0 | 3.5 | 18.8 | 16.9 |
| Lights and electrics | 2.9 | 4.7 | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| Body and structure | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Road wheels | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Steering | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.8 |
What testers fail most on the Leon at 6 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coil spring broken | Suspension | 3.3 | 1.0 | £64 to £236 per spring (rough guide) |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm | Tyres | 2.5 | 2.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | Brakes | 2.2 | 1.9 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Shock absorber leaking | Suspension | 1.8 | 0.3 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Wipers not clearing screen | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 1.8 | 1.8 | £15 to £30 per blade |
| Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 1.4 | 1.4 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 1.3 | 0.9 | £2 to £14 per car (rough guide) |
| Tyre with cords exposed | Tyres | 1.2 | 1.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 0.8 | 0.8 | £16 to £39 per car (rough guide) |
| Tyre condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure | Tyres | 0.7 | 0.5 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 6 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil | Suspension | 19.1 | 1.9 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 15.4 | 14.3 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 12.9 | 9.3 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 9.1 | 9.2 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 6.7 | 7.3 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt | Other | 3.1 | 2.4 | |
| Nail in tyre | Other | 2.4 | 2.0 | |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively | Brakes | 2.2 | 2.5 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 2.1 | 2.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 1.5 | 1.6 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Tyres | Suspension | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 49,082 | 6.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| 4 years | 66,486 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| 5 years | 72,889 | 6.3 | 4.5 | 2.8 |
| 6 years | 74,889 | 6.5 | 5.6 | 3.8 |
| 7 years | 72,860 | 6.7 | 5.2 | 4.0 |
| 8 years | 70,670 | 6.6 | 5.0 | 3.6 |
| 9 years | 64,013 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 3.3 |
| 10 years | 56,823 | 6.7 | 7.3 | 3.3 |
| 11 years | 46,491 | 7.1 | 9.7 | 3.5 |
| 12 years | 33,751 | 7.4 | 14.1 | 3.8 |
| 13 years | 27,075 | 7.6 | 17.2 | 4.2 |
| 14 years | 23,214 | 7.6 | 17.8 | 5.1 |
| 15 years | 21,664 | 7.7 | 17.3 | 6.3 |
| 16 years | 18,485 | 8.1 | 17.6 | 6.7 |
| 17 years | 14,030 | 7.4 | 16.1 | 7.1 |
| 18 years | 10,142 | 7.1 | 14.8 | 6.4 |
| 19 years | 7,134 | 6.6 | 13.7 | 6.3 |
| 20 years | 4,930 | 6.1 | 11.7 | 5.1 |
| 21 years | 3,275 | 5.5 | 11.5 | 5.5 |
| 22 years | 1,829 | 4.6 | 11.8 | 4.9 |
Mileage
At 6 years, SEAT Leon cars showing under 30,000 miles failed 11.5% of MOTs (n=8,046); the band that failed most, 90,000 to 120,000 miles, failed 24.5% (n=3,537). For pass and fail rates by age, see SEAT Leon MOT fail rates.
What to check on a viewing
On the SEAT Leon, testers most often record coil spring broken; tyre tread below 1.6 mm; brake pads under 1.5 mm. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Tyres
- Check the tread across the full width of all four tyres, and the spare if there is one.
- Look for cuts, bulges and cracking in the sidewalls.
- Wear on one edge only can point to worn suspension or the tracking being out.
Suspension
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
- Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
- Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
- Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
- Look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.
- Run the wipers and washers: they should clear the screen without smearing.
- Check that the mirrors are present, secure and not cracked.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the SEAT Leon?
At 6 years, the age with the most MOT tests (74,889), the fail items testers record most often on the SEAT Leon are coil spring broken (3.3 per 100 MOTs), tyre tread below 1.6 mm (2.5 per 100 MOTs), brake pads under 1.5 mm (2.2 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (19.1) and tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (15.4).
Which parts of the SEAT Leon fail more often than on other cars?
At 6 years: suspension (5.6 per 100 MOTs against 2.9 for all cars). Compared with 10,382,720 MOTs of all cars the same age.
SEAT Leon problems by area
More on the SEAT Leon
Other SEAT models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a SEAT Leon?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources