Does the Seat Leon fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Seat Leon records 12.48 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 11.61 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+0.87, 95% interval +0.80 to +0.93). It ranks 230 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Seat Leon by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Seat Leon is “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened”, recorded 31,223 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 31,223 | 3.06 |
| A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 25,067 | 2.45 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 22,592 | 2.21 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 19,499 | 1.91 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 18,346 | 1.80 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,021,630 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Seat Leon gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
14.1% of Seat Leon MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 7,210 miles later (146,076 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 146,076 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
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 2016 · 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 tyres failures · Seat Leon visibility failures