At a Glance
The Seat Leon has 1 identified common problems across 4 generations, with the Mk2 (2005-2012) being the most affected generation and tyres & wheels the most common problem category. Based on 2.1M MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Seat Leon common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Seat Leon generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Seat Leon Generations
Select a generation to see its specific problems, MOT failures and advisories
Mk1
Most common MOT failure: Tyre tread below 1.6mm limit
Mk2
Top issue: Electric power steering fault
Mk3
Most common MOT failure: Tyre condition
Mk4
Most common MOT failure: Tyre condition
Most Common Seat Leon MOT Failures
Every reason Seat Leon vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 9.98% |
| 2 | Tyre condition | 7.38% |
| 3 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 5.46% |
| 4 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 5.17% |
| 5 | Brake pads or linings worn | 4.83% |
| 6 | Number plate lamp not working | 4.72% |
| 7 | Brake performance below minimum | 4.52% |
| 8 | Driveshaft fault | 4.46% |
| 9 | Stop lamp not working | 4.43% |
| 10 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 4.38% |
| 11 | Exhaust system fault | 3.53% |
| 12 | Windscreen washer not working | 3.38% |
| 13 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 3.19% |
| 14 | Ball joint dust cover split | 2.66% |
| 15 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 2.22% |
| 16 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.07% |
| 17 | Front lamp not working | 2.05% |
| 18 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 2.03% |
| 19 | Brake disc or drum worn | 2.01% |
| 20 | Position lamp not working | 1.72% |
| 21 | Track rod end worn | 1.57% |
| 22 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 1.51% |
| 23 | Headlamp fault | 1.42% |
| 24 | Airbag warning light on | 1.38% |
| 25 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 1.05% |
| 26 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 1.02% |
| 27 | Indicator fault | 0.86% |
| 28 | Rear lamp not working | 0.84% |
| 29 | Horn not working | 0.68% |
| 30 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.66% |
| 31 | ABS fault | 0.60% |
| 32 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 0.52% |
| 33 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.48% |
| 34 | Seat belt condition | 0.40% |
| 35 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.40% |
| 36 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.34% |
| 37 | Steering rack fault | 0.29% |
| 38 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.27% |
| 39 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.27% |
| 40 | Front suspension fault | 0.25% |
| 41 | Fog lamp not working | 0.24% |
| 42 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.23% |
| 43 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.23% |
| 44 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.21% |
| 45 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.21% |
| 46 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.20% |
| 47 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.19% |
| 48 | Rear suspension fault | 0.18% |
| 49 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.17% |
| 50 | Brake caliper fault | 0.17% |
| 51 | Parking brake condition | 0.16% |
| 52 | Brake lever fault | 0.13% |
| 53 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.12% |
| 54 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.11% |
| 55 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.11% |
| 56 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.11% |
| 57 | Electrical switch fault | 0.10% |
| 58 | Brake pedal fault | 0.10% |
| 59 | Reversing lamp not working | 0.09% |
| 60 | Driver airbag fault | 0.08% |
| 61 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.08% |
| 62 | Front passenger door fault | 0.07% |
| 63 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.07% |
| 64 | Brake fluid leak | 0.07% |
| 65 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.07% |
| 66 | Steering arm worn | 0.06% |
| 67 | Engine oil leak | 0.06% |
| 68 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.06% |
| 69 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.06% |
| 70 | Propshaft fault | 0.05% |
| 71 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.05% |
| 72 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.05% |
| 73 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.05% |
| 74 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.05% |
| 75 | Electric power steering fault | 0.05% |
| 76 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.05% |
| 77 | Steering free play excessive | 0.05% |
| 78 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.05% |
| 79 | Headlamp washer not working | 0.04% |
| 80 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.04% |
| 81 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.04% |
| 82 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.03% |
| 83 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.03% |
| 84 | Drag link end worn | 0.03% |
| 85 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.03% |
| 86 | Driver door fault | 0.03% |
| 87 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.03% |
| 88 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.03% |
| 89 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.02% |
| 90 | Front fog lamp not working | 0.02% |
| 91 | Chassis condition | 0.02% |
| 92 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.02% |
| 93 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.02% |
| 94 | Passenger seat fault | 0.02% |
| 95 | Driver seat fault | 0.02% |
| 96 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.02% |
| 97 | Steering operation fault | 0.01% |
| 98 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | 0.01% |
| 99 | Suspension unit fault | 0.01% |
| 100 | Steering lock fault | 0.01% |
| 101 | Brake servo fault | 0.01% |
| 102 | CV joint worn | 0.01% |
| 103 | Body security fault | 0.01% |
| 104 | Exhaust leak | 0.01% |
| 105 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | <0.01% |
| 106 | Brake fluid warning light on | <0.01% |
| 107 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 108 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | <0.01% |
| 109 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 110 | Electronic braking system fault | <0.01% |
| 111 | Steering column fault | <0.01% |
| 112 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 113 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 114 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 115 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | <0.01% |
| 116 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 117 | Daytime running lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 118 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 119 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 120 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 121 | Power steering pump fault | <0.01% |
| 122 | Power steering ram fault | <0.01% |
| 123 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 124 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 126 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 127 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 128 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 129 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 130 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 131 | Subframe mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 132 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | <0.01% |
| 134 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 135 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 136 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 138 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 140 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 141 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 142 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 143 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 145 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 147 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 148 | Towbar fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 150 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 151 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 152 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 153 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 155 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 156 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 158 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 160 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 161 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 162 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 163 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 165 | Load sensing valve fault | <0.01% |
| 166 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 167 | Spring mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 168 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 169 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 170 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 171 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 172 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 173 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 174 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 175 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 176 | Seat belt load limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 177 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 178 | Air suspension levelling valve fault | <0.01% |
| 179 | Dropside damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 180 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 181 | Hydraulic suspension accumulator fault | <0.01% |
| 182 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 182 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Seat Leon MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Seat Leon, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Seat Leon problems?
Based on analysis of 2.1M Seat Leon MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 1 identified common problems across 4 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Electric power steering fault". Tyres & Wheels is the most common problem category.
Which Seat Leon generation has the most problems?
The Seat Leon Mk2 (2005-2012) (2005–2012) has the highest number of identified common problems (2). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Seat Leon?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Seat Leon owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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