SEAT Leon MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 26 model years and 1,064,102 tests, the SEAT Leon passes its MOT 83.8% of the time. That is effectively the same as small family cars of a similar age (16.6% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst Leon years
Ranked across Leon years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 91.3% of 2022 examples pass against 72.1% of 2006 ones.
No single area dominates — suspension (6.5%) and tyres (5.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and coil spring — headlamp aim alone was recorded 37,804 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 24.5% versus 7.4%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 9.2pp more often than hybrid ones (18.6% vs 9.3%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 26.7% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Leon model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 581 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 2,261 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 4,592 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 8,878 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 11,284 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 13,724 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 23,713 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 33,735 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 34,160 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 34,499 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 39,536 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 43,340 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 56,567 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 70,147 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 109,384 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 99,174 | 86.5% | 13.6% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 90,215 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 103,240 | 88.0% | 12.0% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 119,860 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 89,953 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Suspension |
| 2020 | 46,309 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 24,761 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 4,080 | 91.3% | 8.8% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 77 | 97.4% | 2.6% | Suspension |
| 2024 | 30 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 6.5% | 69,283 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.7% | 60,865 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 58,513 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.5% | 48,196 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 33,570 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 24,643 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.0% | 21,303 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 7,448 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 37,804 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 35,765 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 32,006 |
| 4 | Shock absorbers | 25,538 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 24,285 |
| 6 | Washers | 20,864 |
| 7 | Wipers | 16,347 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 14,917 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 26.7% | 283,785 |
| 2 | Suspension | 24.3% | 258,844 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.3% | 215,438 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.8% | 93,405 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.7% | 49,614 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 43,808 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 132,589 | 7.4% |
| 30-60k | 303,809 | 12.0% |
| 60-90k | 262,419 | 16.8% |
| 90-120k | 192,158 | 21.2% |
| 120-150k | 109,394 | 23.4% |
| 150k+ | 63,560 | 24.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 570,794 | 14.3% |
| Diesel | 480,510 | 18.6% |
| Hybrid | 12,787 | 9.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 196,544 | 15.9% |
| 2022 | 210,732 | 15.8% |
| 2023 | 218,243 | 16.0% |
| 2024 | 221,119 | 16.2% |
| 2025 | 217,464 | 17.0% |
What to check before buying a SEAT Leon
- Suspension (6.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (5.7% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (5.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the SEAT Leon?
83.8% of the 1,064,102 SEAT Leon MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.2% fail rate, across model years 2000–2025.
What does the SEAT Leon most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 6.5% of tests, then tyres (5.7%).
Which Leon years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 91.3% and 2006 the weakest at 72.1%, from 4,080 and 23,713 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Leon MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 24.5% for 150k+, a 17.1-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Leon more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 9.3% of the time against 18.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,064,102 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.