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SEAT Leon 1.5 TGI 130hp Style common faults.

2017–2020, hatchback, petrol, 130 HP.

The fault list covers: DACA engine, MQ200 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

6 fault write-ups. 4 important. 7 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

4 important faults

critical1

The wiring harness running under the driver's seat kinks and breaks from the seat being adjusted. The sign is the airbag light staying on on the dash. With the airbag light on the system will not work in a crash, and it fails the roadworthiness test too. The part is cheap, the fault finding is the expensive bit, and many sellers mention it as "just a light".

What to check

  • After switching the ignition on, watch whether the airbag light goes out within a few seconds
  • Slide the seat fully forwards and backwards, and watch whether the light flashes up
  • Look at the wiring harness under the seat: broken insulation, chafe marks
1 more steps in the write-up

expensive3

The light, magnesium cased MQ200 and the MQ250, sized for higher torque, are the most widespread manual gearboxes in the transverse engine VAG models. Both have the same two weak points, and both depend on use.

Show the rest

The first is the differential bearing: as it wears you first get a droning, then a whine from the thrust bearings of the output shaft. Left alone, the planetary shaft can fail and in extreme cases punch through the gearbox casing: from then on it is not a repair but a replacement.

The second is the synchros: they can start crunching at around 50,000 km with aggressive driving. This type does not like dumping the clutch or slipping it, and on a used car that is exactly what you have to listen for.

above 50,000 km

What to check

  • On the test drive with the window down, listen to the gearbox both off and on the throttle: droning or whining is suspect
  • Shift up and down quickly, especially into 2nd and 3rd: crunching means synchro wear
  • Try engaging 1st and reverse when cold: resistance here means wear
2 more steps in the write-up

The door seal ages, and the water runs into the front footwell. It stays in the foam under the carpet, so for a long time only the misting windows and the musty smell show it. The comfort control unit and several connectors run in the footwell: if they corrode, the fault is electrical from then on.

What to check

  • Lift the front carpets and press the foam on both sides
  • Run your finger along the door seals: hard, cracked rubber is porous
  • Smell the cabin when cold
1 more steps in the write-up

In the EA211 the water pump and the thermostat are one plastic module, and the pump is driven not by the timing belt but by a separate toothed belt behind the exhaust camshaft. There are usually two problems with it: the plastic housing warps or cracks (slow coolant loss, a sweet smell, rising temperature), or the drive belt ages (a chirping noise, then an engine left with no cooling). The housing is particularly sensitive if oil reaches it: for example from a leaking crankcase ventilation. The module has to be replaced whole: dismantling it warps it in itself.

What to check

  • Check the level in the expansion tank, and ask whether it needs topping up
  • After a cold start smell the engine bay: a sweet smell means coolant
  • Look for dried, whitish pink deposits on the exhaust side of the cylinder head
2 more steps in the write-up

comfort1

At low revs, mostly when cold and in the lower gears, the engine jerks; in extreme cases it stalls in a roundabout or at a junction. The cause of the phenomenon is the lean mixture used to heat the catalytic converter quickly, so it is software in origin. The maker released an update in March 2020, whose effectiveness owners judge differently.

What to check

  • Pull away with a cold engine and watch the first 2 to 3 kilometres at low revs, in 2nd and 3rd
  • On a manual, try pulling away slowly on a slope: that is where it shows
  • Ask whether the March 2020 software update was done
1 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair1

The per cylinder ignition coil of these direct injection, turbocharged petrol engines fails. According to the Haynes service material this and similar simple electrical faults account for roughly eighty per cent of workshop visits.

Show the rest

In cold, damp weather, on startup, the engine runs unevenly, misfires under acceleration, and the engine warning light flashes or stays on. Do not keep driving with the light flashing: the unburnt fuel destroys the catalytic converter.

What to check

  • Start with a cold engine and watch the first half minute: a rough idle or shaking is suspect
  • On the test drive load the engine at low revs with a lot of throttle: the misfire shows then
  • A flashing engine warning light calls for stopping immediately
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

SEAT Leon 1.5 TGI 130hp Style

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Official recall7 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

Most recent: 10 November 2021

A11/00108/21Safety recallInjuries10 November 2021 · EU Safety Gate

During the process of assembling the rear stub axle housing at the supplier’s, it is possible that the attachment screw of the rear right or rear left stub axle housing was not tightened to the required torque. Friction noise may occur in the area of the rear axle during operation, which may be followed by loss of control of the vehicle when the stub axle housing comes loose, increasing the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the requirements laid down in the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 10/11/2021

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/01388/21Safety recallInjuries31 August 2021 · EU Safety Gate

Due to a manufacturing error, seat belt anchorage points for the front seats may be inadequate. This will impair the seat belts' protective effect in the event of a collision or sudden braking, increase the risk of injury. The product does not meet the requirements set out in the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 31/08/2021

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/00033/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

Due to an inadequate sensitivity in the LED turn signal operating control, a failure of the LED turn signals is not always detected. As a result, the mandatory warning (acoustic/optical) does not occur in these cases and the driver will not be notified of possible failure of the direction indicators, increasing the risk of an accident.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Importer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/00697/22Safety recallFireno date · EU Safety Gate

In the event of a short circuit, a faulty fuse can cause an arc flash, which could cause fire and lead to an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of Motor Vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/01328/22Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

In the event of an accident, there is a risk that the load in the baggage compartment will shoot forwards to the partition grille and cause the bracket to detach from the body, increasing the risk of injury to the passengers. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/1193/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The driver airbags may not inflate fast enough in the event of activation. As a result, sufficient protection is not guaranteed in the event of an accident, increasing the risk of an injury.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Importer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/1367/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

A lock nut in the automated transmission may loosen. As a result, the transmission may be damaged, increasing the risk of an accident.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

DACA · 1.5 TSI

96 kW (131 HP) · petrol

MQ200 · 5- or 6-speed manual

manual · 5–6 speed

Torque limit200 Nm
MakerVolkswagen

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Style
Body
hatchback
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1498 cc
Power
96 kW (131 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2017–2020

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years
  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years
  • Engine oil and oil filter

    • LongLife30,000 km or 2 years(valid only with LongLife-approved oil)
    • 15,000 km or 1 year
  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)
  • Coolant (antifreeze) change

    • first: 193,000 km or 10 years, then 97,000 km or 5 years(G13 / G12++: first change at 120,000 miles or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles or 5 years)
  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms