Used car guide

2006 SEAT Leon: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2006 SEAT Leons, from 2,060 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

2,060MOT tests in 2025
55%pass first time (all 2006 cars: 57%)
6,800typical miles a year
2.6×the usual rate for drive shaft (cv) joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2006 SEAT Leons than on all cars registered in 2006.

  • Drive shaft (CV) joints2.6× usual
    SEAT Leon
    19.7% All 2006 cars
    7.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 8.8%, against 3.4% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: Drive slowly on full steering lock in both directions and listen for clicking. Look for split rubber boots behind the front wheels.

  • Sub-frame1.7× usual
    SEAT Leon
    12.1% All 2006 cars
    7.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0%, against 0.3% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Airbag warning light3.2× usual
    SEAT Leon
    4.2% All 2006 cars
    1.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.9%, against 1.2% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Better than most

Rigid brake pipes: 3.8% here, against 14.1% of all 2006 cars. Headlights: 6.2% here, against 14.3% of all 2006 cars.

By area

The share of 2006 SEAT Leon MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    51% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Brakes
    38% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Tyres
    38% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Lights and electrics
    32% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Driveshafts and joints
    20% of testsRough price £60–£350

    At the viewing: On full steering lock, drive slowly and listen for clicking from the front wheels.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    19% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20223,531Tyres 33%
202111,126Tyres 30%
202013,607Tyres 30%
201919,238Tyres 30%
201820,936Tyres 30%
201718,077Tyres 30%
201615,606Tyres 31%
201516,770Suspension 32%
201418,128Suspension 34%
201311,070Suspension 37%
20128,104Suspension 46%
20115,816Suspension 51%
20105,030Suspension 53%
20094,056Suspension 53%
20083,709Suspension 51%
20073,235Suspension 52%
20051,262Suspension 47%
20041,106Suspension 44%
2003851Suspension 45%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2006 SEAT Leons registered in 2006. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score