Used Seat Leon 2020-present review reliability
Category: Family car
The Seat Leon is good to drive, spacious and well-equipped, and it's a great used buy. Reliability is a bit mixed, though.
What should I look for in a used Seat Leon hatchback?
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.
What are the most common problems with a used Seat Leon hatchback?
As of writing, the current Seat Leon has yet to experience any recalls, though it is still relatively new. The previous generation had very few reported problems, which is promising when looking at the latest model.
Is a used Seat Leon hatchback reliable?
The current Leon finished 25th out of 29 cars in the family car class in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, which is not very encouraging.
Reliability rating 79.1%
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 mixed, 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 generally reliable vehicle 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.
