vinkodex.

SEAT Leon 1.0 TSI 110hp FR Business common faults.

2020–2024, hatchback, petrol, 110 HP.

The fault list covers: DLAA engine, MQ281 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

5 fault write-ups. 3 important. 4 recalls.

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

Before you buy

Known faults

3 important faults

expensive3

1.0 TSI: an injector that will not seal, fuel leaking into the cylinder

expensive

The injector does not close fully, and with the engine standing fuel drips into the cylinder. The symptoms are hard, long cranking (mostly after standing for a while), smoky first minutes, a hesitant idle, and dilution of the engine oil: the oil level goes higher, it smells of petrol, and the diluted oil lubricates worse. It shows up on cars built between 2018 and 2020.

What to check

  • Start it cold after standing for a while: several seconds of cranking and blue-white smoke are suspect
  • Pull the dipstick: a level rising above MAX and a petrol smell indicate dilution
  • Smell the oil filler: a petrol smell means fuel has got into the oil
2 more steps in the write-up

DSG: hesitation and jerking in slow traffic

expensive

The DSG gearbox jerks and hesitates at low speed, in congestion, in a stop and go rhythm. It affects higher mileage cars run without an oil and filter change: the oil change here is not a lifetime fill but prescribed maintenance.

What to check

  • On the test drive imitate congestion: pull away and stop several times in a row
  • Watch the 1 to 2 shift cold and warm
  • Rolling gently from standstill, watch for shuddering
1 more steps in the write-up

EA211 (1.0 to 1.5 TSI): water pump and thermostat module leak

expensive

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

MIB3 infotainment: freezing, restarting, black screen

comfort

On the MQB evo generation the MIB3 touchscreen freezes, restarts on its own, and sometimes stays black. In the What Car? survey, 59 per cent of 8Y A3 owners reported a fault, and 44 per cent of those concerned the infotainment. Volume and temperature are set on touch sliders instead of physical buttons, and if the system hangs you cannot adjust them while driving either.

Show the rest

The maker released several software updates. Many cases are resolved by them, but not all. The update is free and fault finding is not, so before you buy, check whether the latest version has been installed.

What to check

  • Switch the system on and let it run for at least 10 to 15 minutes during the test drive
  • Try everything: navigation, Bluetooth, phone mirroring, reversing camera, radio
  • Set the volume and the climate with the slider: does it hang, is the response delayed
2 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair1

TSI ignition coil: misfire, jerking, engine warning light

cheap repair

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 1.0 TSI 110hp FR Business

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

Faults of this model

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

Official recall4 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

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

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

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

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

DLAA · 1.0 EcoTSI

81 kW (110 HP) · petrol

MQ281 · 6-speed manual

manual · 6 speed

Torque limit340 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
FR Business
Body
hatchback
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
999 cc
Power
81 kW (110 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2020–2024

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
All IV versions

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