Car statistics by year

2018 SEAT Leon

SEAT Leon cars first registered in 2018: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2018, so like is set against like.

A year of the SEAT Leon. “2018” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
20,949 MOT tests of 2018 SEAT Leon cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 78.5% All 2018 cars 81.8%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 57,800 miles; all 2018 cars 50,000
  • Left at the end of 2025 21,181 98.4% of the 21,536 at the end of 2018
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 7.5% All 2018 cars 5.8%
  • Tests with an advisory 51.8% All 2018 cars 43.2%
  • MOT tests in 2025 20,949 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2018 SEAT Leons do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 7 years old, 78.5% of 2018 SEAT Leon MOT tests were passed first time, against 81.8% for all cars first registered in 2018. 2018 SEAT Leons did worse than average for their age, by 3.3 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 81.4% of the time (all 2018 cars 83.4%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: SEAT Leon vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each SEAT Leon bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, SEAT Leon compared with all cars
First registered SEAT LeonAll cars
’11 63.5%61.5%
’12 65.5%63.6%
’13 71.4%66.0%
’14 76.6%69.1%
’15 78.6%72.6%
’16 79.7%75.6%
’17 78.5%79.1%
’18 78.5%81.8%
’19 77.7%84.4%
’20 83.9%86.9%
’21 87.2%88.4%
’22 88.6%89.4%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2018 SEAT Leon

Coil spring: fractured or broken was the most common single reason a 2018 SEAT Leon failed, on 25.6% of about 4,500 failed tests. By area of the car, suspension failed most often (37.9% of failed tests; all 2018 cars 18.2%). 7.5% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 5.8% for all cars first registered in 2018. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2018 SEAT Leon tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension 25.6%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 12.9%
Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension 11.7%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes 11.5%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility 10.1%
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 7.1%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility 5.7%
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres 5.5%
Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 4.3%
Washers: not working Visibility 3.8%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: SEAT Leon vs all 2018 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2018 SEAT Leon MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2018 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Suspension 37.9%
Tyres 31.5%
Visibility 19.9%
Brakes 16.2%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 15.4%
Noise, emissions and leaks 3.8%
Road wheels 1.8%
Body, chassis, structure 1.2%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2018 SEAT Leon

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 51.8% of 2018 SEAT Leon tests had at least one (all 2018 cars 43.2%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2018 SEAT Leon tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension 23.0%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 17.5%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 13.4%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 8.1%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 7.7%
Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories 3.1%
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes 2.8%
Nail in tyre Non-component advisories 2.5%
Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 1.9%
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle 1.7%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2018 SEAT Leon?

Half of the 2018 SEAT Leons tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 57,800 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 45,100 and a quarter more than 73,000. For all cars first registered in 2018, the middle figure was 50,000 miles, so 2018 SEAT Leons have been driven 15.6% further than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2018 SEAT Leon and all 2018 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2018 SEAT Leon 34,700 45,100 57,800 73,000 90,600 20,118
All 2018 cars 24,300 35,700 50,000 66,600 85,300 2,108,837
miles

Half of the 2018 SEAT Leons tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 57,800 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2018 SEAT Leons are left?

At the end of 2018, 21,536 2018 SEAT Leons were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, 21,181 were: 20,981 licensed and 200 declared off the road (SORN). That is 98.4% still on the record, against 96.1% for all cars first registered in 2018.

Share still on the record since 2018

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2018. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2018 SEAT Leons on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2018, compared with all 2018 cars
Year end 2018 SEAT LeonAll 2018 cars
2018 100.0%100.0%
2019 101.5%99.9%
2020 98.6%98.2%
2021 97.9%95.9%
2022 99.0%97.2%
2023 98.9%97.0%
2024 99.0%96.7%
2025 98.4%96.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2018

1 of the SEAT Leon’s 22 recalls in DVSA’s records covers cars built during 2018. 1 has no build dates, so could apply to any year.

The 2018 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2018 may have been built in 2017, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

SEAT Leon recalls whose build dates include 2018
Launched Concern Built Vehicles
14 Oct 2019 Possible fault in a turn signal 1 Nov 2016 to 5 Jul 2018 23,732 (all models)

Every SEAT Leon recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the SEAT Leon

20 years of the SEAT Leon, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2014 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (76.6% passed first time) and the 2019 cars worst (77.7%).

SEAT Leons by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2003 1,930 63.0% 58.9%
2004 2,197 61.8% 57.9%
2005 2,216 60.4% 57.7%
2006 2,886 55.4% 56.9%
2007 4,098 59.7% 57.3%
2008 4,217 60.0% 57.0%
2009 4,600 59.8% 58.2%
2010 5,713 61.0% 59.3%
2011 6,898 63.5% 61.5%
2012 9,783 65.5% 63.6%
2013 12,756 71.4% 66.0%
2014 22,020 20,336 76.6% 69.1%
2015 18,958 18,440 78.6% 72.6%
2016 16,675 16,710 79.7% 75.6%
2017 18,717 18,749 78.5% 79.1%
2018 21,536 21,181 78.5% 81.8%
2019 19,736 19,107 77.7% 84.4%
2020 13,739 13,526 83.9% 86.9%
2021 11,273 10,875 87.2% 88.4%
2022 3,579 3,403 88.6% 89.4%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 20,949 MOT tests of 2018 SEAT Leon cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 21,181 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of SEAT Leon cars first registered in 2018; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2018.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.