Used Seat Leon 2020-present reliability

On the whole, the Leon is a solid and sensible family car, usually bought by people who look after their cars well. Check the interior for signs of wear and tear and alloys for any kerb damage.

Recalls have been issued for the following faults. Make sure that all remedial work has been carried out by checking with your local Seat dealer.

In some vehicles, the fuse in the high-voltage system has been produced in part with an insufficient amount of extinguishing sand.

The front seat belts may not be properly anchored due to a manufacturing error.

There is a possibility that the wiring harness of the airbag control unit was caught by the clutch pedal during installation.

In some vehicles within the range of specified VINs they may have engine design covers installed that could detach from their fixing depending on use (very sporty driving or poor road conditions) and the operating time.

It is possible that the rear knuckle fastening screw does not have the correct tightening torque.

The current Leon finished 25th out of 26 cars in the family car class in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, with an overall score of a disappointing 74.2%, which is not very encouraging.

Reliability rating 74.2%

Nearly half (48%) of the Seat Leons we were told about had experienced a fault. The sat-nav/infotainment, non-engine electrics and bodywork were the most common areas of complaint. Nearly 60% of cars were still driveable, but took longer than a week to repair. Seat covered the cost of all repairs.

Seat as a brand performed well, finishing in 18th place out of 32 manufacturers, with a respectable overall score of 90.9%. This result put the brand above the likes of Alfa Romeo, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault and Volkswagen, but below BMW, Citroen, Ford, Kia and Skoda.

Used Seat Leon reliability: the owners' view

The general consensus is a little poor, with many Leon owners highlighting the car's dependability during the survey period but many others experiencing faults.

Common issues reported were minor and typically related to electronic systems, such as infotainment glitches and sporadic electronic dashboard warnings. These problems were annoying and were often not quickly addressed by dealers.

However, dealerships were still praised by some for their professional handling of warranty claims and repairs, contributing to a satisfactory ownership experience. Although a few readers mentioned longer-than-desired wait times for service appointments, this did not significantly detract from their overall positive views.

The Seat Leon, according to this feedback, stands out as a car with mixed reliability backed by commendable dealer support but subject to infotainment and sat-nav glitches.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.