Seat Leon 2016: MOT failure rate for its age
16.4% of 97,267 MOT tests of the Seat Leon first registered in 2016 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 97.7 (95% CI 96.2–99.2; 100 = normal for this model at that age): close to other build years of the same model at the same age (within 5 points of normal).
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 16.4 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 97267 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 96.2–99.2) | 97.7 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 97267 |
| Rank among this model's 21 build years | 5 | of 21 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 97267 |
| Tested in 2024 | 15778 | tests | median 68,139 miles | 2024 | 15778 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2016 Seat Leon fail at each age?
Cars built in 2016 were tested at ages 3 to 8 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.
| Age | Tests | Failed, % | 95% interval | Normal for this model at that age, % | Index (100 = normal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 17,237 | 17.2 | 16.6–17.8 | 13.8 | 124.2 |
| 4 | 16,081 | 13.5 | 13–14 | 13.9 | 96.7 |
| 5 | 16,172 | 14.5 | 14–15.1 | 15.9 | 91.5 |
| 6 | 16,040 | 16.1 | 15.5–16.7 | 17 | 94.7 |
| 7 | 15,959 | 17.9 | 17.3–18.5 | 19.1 | 94.1 |
| 8 | 15,778 | 18.9 | 18.3–19.5 | 21 | 89.8 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 97,267 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What fails most on the 2016 Seat Leon?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2016 is tyres: 8.2 items per 100 first tests, against 9.2 across all build years of the Seat Leon. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2016 were tested at ages 3 to 8.
| Failure group | Built 2016, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 8.2 | 9.2 | 7,979 |
| Visibility | 5.5 | 6.4 | 5,398 |
| Brakes | 3.7 | 8.7 | 3,558 |
| Suspension | 3.2 | 12.5 | 3,087 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.9 | 10.1 | 1,849 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 97,267 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How does 2016 compare with the years around it?
Among the 21 published build years of the Seat Leon, 2016 ranks 5 (1 = fails least for its age). 2015: index 92.2. 2017: index 94.4.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 111.6 | 100.5–122.7 | worse (rough estimate) | 820 |
| 2001 | 106.2 | 100.9–111.6 | worse (rough estimate) | 3,341 |
| 2002 | 101.6 | 98.0–105.2 | no different | 7,003 |
| 2003 | 101.4 | 98.7–104.1 | no different | 12,368 |
| 2004 | 98.1 | 95.7–100.5 | no different | 15,199 |
| 2005 | 103.0 | 100.8–105.3 | worse | 17,970 |
| 2006 | 105.6 | 103.8–107.4 | worse | 30,008 |
| 2007 | 99.3 | 97.8–100.8 | no different | 40,443 |
| 2008 | 101.6 | 100.0–103.2 | no different | 37,877 |
| 2009 | 106.3 | 104.5–108.0 | worse | 36,174 |
| 2010 | 108.5 | 106.8–110.3 | worse | 40,356 |
| 2011 | 106.1 | 104.4–107.8 | worse | 44,258 |
| 2012 | 105.4 | 103.8–107.0 | worse | 58,021 |
| 2013 | 96.6 | 95.1–98.0 | better | 72,945 |
| 2014 | 91.2 | 90.0–92.4 | better | 115,712 |
| 2015 | 92.2 | 90.9–93.6 | better | 105,329 |
| 2016 | 97.7 | 96.2–99.2 | better | 97,267 |
| 2017 | 94.4 | 92.9–96.0 | better | 97,255 |
| 2018 | 103.0 | 101.3–104.8 | worse | 85,811 |
| 2019 | 114.7 | 112.3–117.0 | worse | 59,282 |
| 2020 | 102.7 | 99.4–106.1 | no different | 27,624 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,005,063 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). Seat Leon 2016 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/seat-leon/2016/
How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.
Other pages for this model
Seat Leon 2000 · Seat Leon 2001 · Seat Leon 2002 · Seat Leon 2003 · Seat Leon 2004 · Seat Leon 2005 · Seat Leon 2006 · Seat Leon 2007 · Seat Leon 2008 · Seat Leon 2009 · Seat Leon 2010 · Seat Leon 2011 · Seat Leon 2012 · Seat Leon 2013 · Seat Leon 2014 · Seat Leon 2015 · Seat Leon 2017 · Seat Leon 2018 · Seat Leon 2019 · Seat Leon 2020 · Seat Leon in Finland · Seat Leon in the Netherlands · Seat Leon by postcode area · Seat Leon body, chassis and structure failures · Seat Leon brakes failures · Seat Leon vehicle identification failures · Seat Leon lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Seat Leon noise, emissions and leaks failures · Seat Leon road wheels failures · Seat Leon seat belts and airbags failures · Seat Leon steering failures · Seat Leon suspension failures · Seat Leon tyres failures · Seat Leon visibility failures