SEAT Leon hatchback (2013-2020) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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This is without doubt, a shockingly bad car. Electrics work sporadically. The handbrake is on and then its not, rolling back and injuring you as you exit car. The car stalls in traffic frequently at a stop. The seat belts are cheap and hang loose like a 40 year old car after moderate use. The interior lights on dash don’t work unless all headlights are on and I could go on but I won’t. So many other cars beat this hands down.

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I would recommend, but prefer the Golf as it has more technology such as adaptive cruise control, as well as details like a 12v cigarette lighter in the rear seats and boot. I should have bought a car with the convinience pack as I miss having a dimming rear view mirror and dipping reverse mirror – you get these in a Golf. That’s why buying a SEAT is cheaper, but it's still fun to drive.

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So I bought this car in Feb 16 and not even 6 months into ownership and I already can't wait to get rid of it. I have loved this mk 3 Leon since the day it came out, you can't deny it's great looks, which is the annoying thing. Many of things bug me on this car, most annoying being the thirsty engine which infact is suppost to be one of the most economical cars on the market today which is laughable. Was told by the salesman it would reach at least 70mpg if not 65mpg going off the commuting I do to work and back, still yet to reach 55mpg. Absolute joke. The car has covered 13K miles and has been nothing but un-economical. I owned an Ibiza previous to this car and that had a 1.4 petrol engine and managed 60mpg so this makes me wonder if theres something seriously wrong with this car? Engine is also awfully loud, especially for a diesel, sounds very blowy and always sits at high revs when stationary when the start/stop has a mind of it's own which is normally daily. I think seat have cut corners massively on this car, like no 6th gear in the 1.6 SE Tdi which I think would make a huge differance to econemy and motorway driving. The other really annoying thing is theres always a strange clunk noise from the clutch when going from 3rd to 4th which has happened since day 1 of owning the car. Another annoying noise, the fuel sloshing around in the tank. Awfully noisy and I can even hear it over my music! After reading a lot of reviews you hear a lot of Leon owners complaining about this. It's going into the dealership at only 6 months old due to a fault on the fan coming on every journey and staying on for a worrying amount of time. There is some really good points about this car, it is very comfy to drive long distance, the DAB radio is spot on, the LED lights look great during the day and project light amazingly at night on dark roads, it actually handles quite well for an SE and it feels much more better quality than the previous ibiza I owned. But everything I mentioned just let's the car down as a whole. Definatly going for a Volvo or Kia or something along those lines next. Even owned french cars which seem better than this Leon at times. 2nd owned Seat and will definatly 100% be my last. I'm wondering if the engine is part of the millions made by VW which were in the big scandal?

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I'm very sad to be leaving a bad review of car in which we had so much belief. In fact if SEAT had helped us sort it out, I wouldn't writing this review. My wife loved her 2002 Leon Cupra for 11 more or less fault-free years which lead to her buying this FR 1.8 TSI manual. The power output of her mk1 Cupra and the new FR is about the same but the older car felt much quicker than the new model. It just doesn't feel fast! Annoying issues. There is no alarm / warning for low washer fluid and you will see lots of Leons driving around with their headlights on because there is no alarm on the headlight setting. At night you switch off, no alarm so you drive around all the next day with headlights! Otherwise, first impressions were very positive but we quickly discovered a hesitancy between gears 1 and 2. We were told by Holders SEAT that this was a software issue and SEAT would need to release a software update to rectify. That was two years ago. To be fair, Holders did try to sort out the problem three times but each time the problem has returned. So we are left with a car that when my wife wants to pull out on to a busy A-road, leaves her playing Russion Roulette with articulated lorries because of this issue. Totally unacceptable! So a relationship built up with a brand is again dashed by the brand's inability to sort out a simple problem for a customer. Bye bye SEAT. If you are considering the Leon, which may well be a decent car if you get a good one, check the above issue. It will be difficult to observe on a brand new car!

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We picked the car up from Arnold Clark autostore at 5 months old & 6,000 miles. The car had a full service history from local garage and it's now 3 years and 6 months old with 25,500 miles on the clock. Last week we began to notice it was becoming quite hard to find 1st gear. Took it to local garage, who we have used for 10 years, who put it up on ramps and identified leaking gearbox oil and a repair bill of £2,000. I phoned SEAT customer service who advised a goodwill payment seemed reasonable due to age/mileage, but the car must be sent to a SEAT garage for inspection. SEAT now says they will not make the goodwill payment as we used a non-SEAT garage for services - our nearest garage is 30 miles away, and the quotation for the repair is £3,800! What's worse is to have the car back from the SEAT garage and the bill is £500 just for an inspection! Never buy a SEAT or expect any consideration from their customer service!

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Very good

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RECURRING PROBLEM WITH SUSPENSION TOOK ALMOST A YEAR TO FIX. ESP PROBLEM REQUIRED RE-TUNE.

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Always starts in any weather. No ongoing problems

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no problems with it while i have had it

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never had any problems

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great brand very well built no problems

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I have owned the car for nearly three years and I haven't experienced any problems.

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No reliability issues so far (two and a half months of ownership)

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Had been 100% fine until DPF filter failed needing replacement and also cracking diaphragm on turbo actuator. PRICEY

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No problems at all in 4 years. 100% reliable

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Never left me stranded. But trouble locking 1door and there is no manual overide. Also intercooler pipe comes off leaving no power.

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nNothing has yet gone wrong with it.

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No issues at all to date

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Superb

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Recurring problem with front suspension required numerous trips to and arguments with the dealership

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Never had any major problems with the car. A leaking fuel filter is the only non-service related repair that has been carried out.

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Fantastic visual design that is different from the other brands. Draws attention from people. Great performance from a well put together car that offers full value for money compared to similar engined vehicles such as the golf r. Good to have excellent follow up service from seat.

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Love it apart from the suspension is too stiff.

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I'm very happy with my car, it's sporty, fuel efficient, economical, and practical. Would recommend this car and it's very good value for money.

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A good family car, which is why we've kept it. It is no longer serviced the dealer as it was too expensive for a routine service so we use our local garage and that's fine. Within a few months one of the dash lights stopped working, which is annoying, but is apparently hard to get to and would take a couple of (expensive) hours so has never been put right, otherwise it's been pretty reasonable to put things right as they've gone wrong. We shall keep driving it until it starts to become unreliable, hopefully a few more years.

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Not had our 1.2tsi se leon long and was unsure the 1.2 engine would be too small but found it much more responsive and torquey than my previous 1.6. This is my 2nd leon and still love the sporty looks and drive. Seems to be much better built than my first leon.

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One of the best cars we have owned find it nicer to drive than our previous 1 series. Spacious and economical sums it up for us with plenty of power to overtake or a quick blast on a twisty a road.

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Good sporty car which can also transport 2 kids and luggage

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Reliable engine. good drive.

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Very good

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Excellent car but fuel consumption is no where near to what has been nationally advertised. We currently get 57mpg on rural/motorway but seat leon ecomotive adverts clain 84mpg. Considering going to advertising watchdog. What would you advise?

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Gret car

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I love my white leon with black wheels looks very muscular and sporty. Drives and handles well.Good Interior space and boot space. Some plastics a little hard but no trim rattles to report.

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My fr tfsi dsg has been excellent fast fun and easy to drive. So much so just about to order another fl fr tsi with the current 20% off offer.

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Very practical. Far more comfortable then the bmw i had previously and easier to drive. Cheaper company car tax and very easy to drive.

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Good looking, good performance, comfortable and thus far reliable. Dsg gearbox is a delight. Slightly higher fuel consumption than expected with the odd niggling rattle. Would recommend this make / model to others.

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Sporty economical practical good design but with restricted rear and front visibility

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Fast and fun family car. Found the options to be excellent value and think it is one of the best looking hatches on the market.

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Smile factor very high

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Yes Green thumbs up

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A good "workhorse" car. 1.9 diesel is a bit unrefined, although reasonably quiet on the move, pulls well and economy is good.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Love the looks love the performance fl cupra is much better than the pre fl cupra nicer interior and overall better looking.

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Very reliable, like my previous japanese cars. Good mix of performance and economy with this 130tdi engine, but expensive to buy second hand because of this. Comfort and interior build quality should be better. Handling is disappointing, manages to be dull to drive and still have a poor ride quality.

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Far better reliabilty than my laguna that i had before this

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Looks the part, performs like a lion, fantastic handling, i love it. Best car ive owned. If one criticism, i'd like a bigger boot. But hey, you cant have it all eh ..!

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Of the 2 seat cars in the house the leon is the best. it gets used more as it is a lot more comfortable and reliable. However with the experience we had with the other seat car, this would put me off buying seat again!

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Excellent so far

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Decent family hatch, but prefer japanese alternatives.

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Great car, great performance, good mpg and cheap road tax, what more can you ask for.

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Best practical daily driver car i have owned.

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3rd Leon I have owned and definitely my last. Suspension is harder, no power in 1st and 2nd gears, "juddery" in 3rd gear, "clunky" gearbox and a very noisy fuel tank when tank is between full and half-full !! Can hear the fuel in tank surge forward and back every time the car comes to a stop as it makes 2 very definite 'thuds", and can hear it sloshing around as it settles. SEAT unhelpful, describing it as a "characteristic" of the new design, and they are aware of the issue but unable to do anything about it post-manufacture. VERY disappointed. Seat fabric shows every mark and fingerprint, as does the plastic dash, so constantly looks grubby. Going to swap for a different brand of car asap, and staying away from SEAT in future. Yes it is cheaper than the Golf, but you get what you pay for? Would not recommend this car unless you want a disappointing drive and extremely irritatingly noisy fuel tank which can be heard over the radio!

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An excellent alternative to the mundane vw golf. Far prettier and a lot of fun to drive

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Yes Green thumbs up

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1.4 tsi engine performance is reasonable and fuel consuption better than average.

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Abs sensor fault, seat c/s paid 60% although out of warranty Seat dealer service very poor. Took over 1 week to get a part to bleed brakes at 2nd dealer. 1st dealer refused to complete repair.

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Awsome

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Love the fl interior much better than my pre fl leon. Very frugal and a good looking car that undercuts the golf on price and outperforms on style!!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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A great car just expensive parts failing

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Excellent value for money, quality of build and has real smile factor with outstanding performance, yet is well behaved and easy to drive around town or in heavy traffic

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I love it!

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Great looking car which feels sporty and a gem of an engine that is quite economical for a petrol

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A very frugal car feels sporty and looks good, compared to the golf blue motion offers very good value in a nicer looking package.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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For the money you pay there isnt a better built or reliable car on the road. Combined with the right level of style and german thinking, there isnt much better than my seat.

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Worst car i ever purchased and worst customer service ever experienced

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Overall a thoroughly pleasurable driving experience

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A very good looking five door hot hatch which is easy to drive either slow or fast. I bought it for primarily for looks but it is also very good valus in comparison to equivalent performance gold gti's. Reliability and quality has been superb to date with no issues at all.

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Good car but harsh ride.

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I love my beast. Always turns heads and a great car for the open road...

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Generally the car has been reliable with only the rear lock solenoid failing at seven years old. Unfortunately I had an injector failure whilst heading to a holiday destination. The car had only done at just under 30,000 miles. I'm not sure if it was a bad part or bad fuel but having changed fuel to premium diesel, there is a difference in economy and performance. I will now continue with the premium fuel, anything else is a false economy.

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Have had this Leon two months now and really enjoyed driveing it. I had a VW Golf before with the same engine but already the Leon is performing better, this may be down to the excellent DSG gearbox which is quick and smooth. When driving light footed it will show 62mpg on the computer but this may be reading a bit high. Over all glad I bought the Leon Xcellence. It has a lovely interior that's more modern than the Golf, and is quieter, I would highly recommend the Leon TSI Petrol, it's a lot better than the diesel, with very good performance when in sport mode.

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Having owned an Audi A6 I wanted a to downsize as I no longer needed such a large car just for commuting my 75 miles a day to work. I naturally tried an A3 but just felt I wouldn't really be making much in the way of savings on finance and fuel. Many other makes seem to be offering a staple fare of 1 liter or 1.2L turbo engines which I just felt lacked the relaxing drive of a diesel. So I tried the Golf, very nice but expensive and a tad bland, whenI came across the Leon. It ticked the right boxes in terms of having an Audi like cabin, very neat and clutter free interior, sharp exterior lines and a very frugal 1.6 Tdi engine. On my mixed motorway and cross country drive I average 60+ MPG and the drive is smooth and relaxing. The infotainment system is superb, and is something I always look for in my cars to while away the drive to work. On the winter and dark nights the LED headlights (part of the Tech Pack) are superb and give exceptional visibility on country roads. All in all, I love this car it gives a great blend of efficiency, good looks and is less costly than its Audi and Golf equivalents.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Having previously owned a petrol car, this seat leon has completely changed my outlook on diesel cars. I have had next to no problems with my car and the drive is superb

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Passenger Airbag recurring fault - now at 8 attempts to resolve the problem by main dealer. Injector failure at 51,000, Seat UK Paid for the repairs which would have been over Ł2500. I had to pay to get the car to the Seat Dealer and for the Diagnostic check. Common on the 170bhp engine fitted in the Leon of this age. Affects all the models in the VW / Audi / Seat / Skoda fitted with this engine.

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No problems encountered

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I have had no issues with reliability only a couple of minor issues.

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No problems

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My car gives the performance and handling of a hot hatch and has the looks tho go with it but has the practicality of a 5 door hatch. While costing much less than some of its competitors it maintains good build quaility and costs less for insurance and road tax. All in all my perfect solution.

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I do a lot of miles and within 5 minutes of starting the test drive i knew this was the right car for easy driving over a lot of miles during the year (i also test drove a ford focus and honda civic). A seat is a vw/audi but with a cheaper price tag and this was a hugely attractive aspect to the vehicle - it meant that it would be reliable and so it has proved. The engine is good and strong with plenty of poke for overtaking and whilst fairly economical (average 47mpg), a slightly longer top gear would improve this more on the motorway. The ride and seats are quite firm, but the handling is good although the steering would benefit from a bit more feel. Overall i am very happy with the leon - it is a better looking car than the golf upon which it is based and i never tire of driving it. Even late night blasts home from airports are pleasurable and easy.

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Not happy with car a all

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Stylish, practical, reliable, economical car

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Well after a painstaking rebuild taking 4 weeks in all (down to ever emptying wallet!) The project is almost complete and my leon is performing well. All in all a very satisfying drive, town and motorway. Visited yorkshire last week 650 mile one tank, pleasantly surprised ! Very happy with my purchase :)

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Fast, reliable, fun

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Leon fr is a very well finished of car good on fuel and cheap to insure

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Excellent car but a little thirsty for me.

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A fantastic all rounder, easily tuned and still maintains reliability. Fantastic machine

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Excellent car. I travel 50,000 miles a year and the car has never let me down

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Brilliant

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Great styling, good performance, economy & driving experience.

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Basically not bad, but let down by a very unsettled ride, and some quality issues ranging from a misted light cluster to the rear suspension not being setup properly on the optional sport pack fitted to the car (which was very un-nerving given i nearly wore through the inside edges of a set of tyres before i noticed.

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Has delivered what i wanted, though servicing / repairs are expensive. Perhaps becoming a little dated now. Would seek better (wider) visibility through rear window

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No Red thumbs down