SEAT
1,657 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Leon FR Etsi S As pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 13.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
91.1%
Pass-after-fix
2.2%
Fail
6.1%
Avg miles
32,918
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,657 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.9 points across the cohorts — newer Leon FR Etsi S A examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
89.8%
Fail
6.1%
PRS
3.5%
Avg mileage at test
34,722 mi
Pass
91.6%
Fail
6.1%
PRS
1.7%
Avg mileage at test
32,118 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,657 MOT tests, the Leon Fr Etsi S-A returns 91.1% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a tyre with the cords showing. A seriously damaged tyre and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 32,918, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
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A tyre cords visible or damaged
33 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
19 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
17 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
16 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
15 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
10 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£120–£190
If every one of this Leon FR Etsi S A's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.9-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy SEAT Leon FR Etsi S A makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
91.6%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 91.6% — a 1.9-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has ply or cords exposed, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
89.8%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 89.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has ply or cords exposed, has a tear, caused by separation or…, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 34,722 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (89.8% pass). That's a 1.9-point spread across 509 older tests and 1,148 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Where it falls short
Ride can have a firm edge on lower trim models.
Report of failure of MOLL battery in SEAT Leon at 2 years old and 50,000 miles. AA fitted new battery at a cost of £230 and told owner he had replaced a lot of MOLL batteries on SEATs. SEAT declined to pay for the battery. (See 4-10-2018) Kwikset 405DL-S Delta Keyed Entry Door Leverset With Smartkey Satin Nickel Door Hardware Door Levers Keyed Entry Door Levers Kwikset, 405DL-S, Door Levers, Delta, Door Hardware, Keyed Entry Door Levers, Delta Keyed Entry Door Leverset with SmartKey by Kwikset A ...Ferguson Home
Problem reported with DSG transmission of 2017 SEAT Leon FR purchased in Jerusalem.
Report of 2016 SEAT Leon needing new rear damper because it was "misting" (leaking fluid) at 15,000 miles. FoC under warranty, but dealer recommended replacing the other as well at a cost of £200.
Report of ACC front assist not available warning light on on 2017 SEAT Leon 1.4 EcoTSi 150 DSG Auto Start/Stop FR Technology. (Yellow triangle). Car serviced yesterday and apparently the sensor needs recalibrating at a cost of £400, not covered in the warranty. With this particular sensor off the cruise control does not work either.
Problem reported with DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG in 2014 SEAT Leon FR 1.8TSI 180. Error notice on and off: "ERROR: WORKSHOP! ONLY LEAVE VEHICLE IN POSITION P." Owner also notices that sometimes the car automatically switches to the Sports Mode gears while driving, or, more rarely, starts with the Sports Mode directly. With a scanner, he picked up error code: 617752- Selector lever Park position Lock switch. He thinks there is a Technical Service Bulletin for the 617752 error (recommendation to replace gear selector/ shifter assembly?). But online forums have different suggestions.
Ongoing issues with the 1.5 TSI engine with no resolution from SEAT. (These were resolved by a Software update from September 2019.)
Report that 2014 SEAT Leon 1.6 TDi 105 Ecomotive needed new turbo and DPF at a cost of £3,820, but garage then discovered that it needed a replacement engine as well. Replacement engine fitted FoC.
Report of SEAT Leon 1.2TSI engine using 1 litre of oil every 1,000 miles.
Report of turbo actuator of 2015 SEAT Leon 1.4TSI 150 FR failing three times in 28,000 miles.
Report of catastrophic oil loss from engine of 2014 SEAT Leon 1.2TSI (VIN: VSSZZZ5FZER096473) in France. A few minutes before the oil loss, owner heard a faint rattling. French SEAT dealer refused to repair it until they had received confirmation from SEAT that SEAT would pay for the repair. Apparently, this has now been given but the garage now claims that it are waiting for the equipment needed to effect the repair. Owner told that defect itself concerns a pulley coming adrift inside the cylinder head. See 17-7-2018. Likely to be why timing belt replacement on EA211s is being scheduled at 4 years old.
Report of failure of DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG transmission in 2013 SEAT Leon 1.8TSI at 35k miles. Car serviced annually by a "specialist". Dealer asking almost £5k to replace.
Report of Mechatronics of 2014 SEAT Leon failing (presumed DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG). Owner quoted £1,400 to repair.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 30 reports indexed, top 12 shown
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Leon FR Etsi S A and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
