Is the SEAT Leon ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol SEAT Leons from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

What insurance group is the SEAT Leon in?

The SEAT Leon sits in insurance group 15 of 50, towards the cheaper end of the scale. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.

Is the SEAT Leon reliable?

Our reliability score for the SEAT Leon is 70 out of 100 (good), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 84% at the reference age.

What economy does the SEAT Leon get?

Expect roughly around 4.8 miles per kWh for a typical SEAT Leon, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.

What are the common problems on the SEAT Leon?

On the SEAT Leon, the issues that come up most by mileage include Tyres & wheels, Suspension and Brakes. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.

How many SEAT Leons are on UK roads?

About 197,224 SEAT Leons are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Is the SEAT Leon reliable?

The SEAT Leon scores 70/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 35% of the cars we track. That is computed from 3,205,974 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used SEAT Leon cost?

A 2023 SEAT Leon with around 29,634 miles is worth roughly £14,050 today (typical range £12,700–£15,450). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the SEAT Leon depreciate?

A new SEAT Leon typically loses about 35% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the SEAT Leon?

The SEAT Leon sits in insurance group 15 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used SEAT Leon?

The most common age-related issues we track for the SEAT Leon are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the SEAT Leon cost to run?

Expect around 50 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Ranked #37 car in the UK · Hatchback · 2,775 units sold last year

SEAT Leon

The SEAT Leon is the sportier-flavoured sibling of the VW Golf and Skoda Octavia - the same solid VW Group mechanicals with a younger, more driver-focused character and keener used pricing. Hatch and ST estate, with 1.0/1.5 TSI petrol, TDI diesel, e-Hybrid PHEV and the hot Cupra versions. Cross-shop the Golf, Octavia, Ford Focus and Honda Civic.

Body: Hatchback
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol / Diesel / Mild Hybrid / Plug-in Hybrid
Range: 80 mi
Insurance: Group 19

The short version

63/100

Forecourt score

Value 82 · Reliability 34 · Insurance 84

The SEAT Leon holds its value well and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is good, 70 out of 100, ahead of 34% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 82% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20). Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Fuel

Mild Hybrid · 1498cc

Power

150 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Cam drive

Dry belt

Quoted MPG

50 mpg

The sweet spot. 150 PS with 48V mild-hybrid assist and 7-speed DSG. FR adds sport bumpers, lowered suspension, sport seats. Genuinely sharp to drive — closest a Leon gets to a hot hatch without going to Cupra.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock29,634 mi

0Expected: 29,634180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£16,600

Range £14,000 – £19,450

medium confidence

When new (2023)£29,500Age-based value£19,175Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£22Market calibration-£1,453Forecourt price£17,700Private sale£15,500Part-exchange£13,650

Buythis 3-year-old

Past the steep drop — most of the depreciation is behind it.

At 29,634 miles it’s about the ~33,368 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration SEAT Leon loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 29,634 miles you entered above — worth about £16,600 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 9,878 miles a year.

5-year total

£17,207

Per year

£3,441

All-in per mile

£0.35

Fuel per mile

13.9p

If a company carAround £271/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£135/mo at 20%) — 29% band

Depreciation£3,485

Fuel / energy£6,882

Servicing£1,765

Road tax£975

Insurance£4,100

If you're a company-car driver

At 29% BIK, a 40% taxpayer would pay about £271/month in company-car tax (£135/month at 20%) — on top of the running costs above. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 4 years

A 4-year-old example loses roughly £1,200 a year — under half the £4,400 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 82%

Reliabilitybetter than 34%

Fuel economybetter than 76%

Cheap to insurebetter than 84%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

1.0 / 1.5 TSI petrol

Cheaper than a Golf with the same engines underneath. FR is the spec most buyers want — the £2-3k premium over SE is justified by genuinely better dynamics. Reliability has been below segment average per recent surveys though.

New price: £26,500
Annual fuel / energy: £1,700
3-yr depreciation: 50%

Watch for

·High-pressure fuel pump failure on early 1.5 TSI (campaign fix available)
·Travel Assist false-positive emergency braking — reported on cars with active driver-assist packs
·DSG hesitation at junctions when cold (software update available)

2.0 TDI diesel

Only worth it on long-distance use. Newer drivers should skip — diesel residuals weakening across the segment. mHEV petrol is the modern compromise.

New price: £28,500
Annual fuel / energy: £1,400
3-yr depreciation: 53%

Watch for

·AdBlue tank sensor failures (~£500 fix)
·DPF clogs on urban-only use
·Twin-mass flywheel wear at 100k+ miles

1.4 e-Hybrid PHEV

BIK win for company-car drivers. Private buyers: only if you can plug in nightly. The 270L hatch boot is genuinely small — Polo-sized. Estate version is much more practical.

New price: £35,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,000
3-yr depreciation: 56%

Watch for

·PHEV recall for fuse on cars built up to early 2022 (verify completed)
·Charging cable boot storage eats into already-reduced boot space
·Cold-weather electric range can drop to 18-22 miles

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 22/06/2026) · Petrol 153.3p/L, Diesel 172.5p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 15 of 50 (low — cheaper end of the scale) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£820/ year

Roughly £68 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£1,870	£2,337	£3,038
Age 26-32	£976	£1,148	£1,401
Age 33-39Selected	£722	£820	£968
Age 40-49	£613	£681	£789
Age 50+	£546	£607	£716

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage9,878 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 9,87830,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£195

Standard rate, post year-one

Electricity

£556

4.8 mi/kWh, 27p blended

Insurance

£820

Age 33-39, group 19

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Plug-in Hybrid, Mild Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.
All petrol variants meet Euro 4 standards and are ULEZ compliant.
All diesel variants meet Euro 6 standards and are ULEZ compliant.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£1,966 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

195/65 R15 · 205/55 R16 · 215/45 R17

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 29,634 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,167,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 9.5% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,167,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,167,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,167,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,167,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

EmissionsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 3.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 3,167,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the SEAT Leon, from its 2020 assessment.

5/5

TEST YEAR2020

Rating expired (test protocol superseded)

The passenger compartment remained stable in the offset frontal test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 3,205,974 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

86.1% at 3yr → 67.8% at 25yr

A 3-year-old Leon passes its MOT 86.1% of the time; by 25 years that has slipped to 67.8%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

1%of 26-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 3,729 vehicles registered in 2000.

Survival by registration year

1% of 2000 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every Leon currently MOT’d in the UK. From 314,850 vehicles.

Petrol 50.8%
Diesel 45.4%
Hybrid 2.8%
Other 1.0%

Common MOT failures by mileage

The defect categories this Leon fails on most often, and how the failure rate climbs as the miles add up — from the same DVSA test records.

Category	0-30k	30-60k	60-100k	100k+
Tyres & wheels	4%	5%	6%	6%
Suspension	1%	2%	6%	9%
Brakes	1%	3%	5%	7%
Lighting & signalling	1%	2%	4%	6%
Driver's view	1%	2%	2%	3%
Emissions	—	1%	2%	4%

Share of MOT tests in each mileage band with at least one defect in that category. The peak band for each is highlighted.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a Leon at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

0 yr9,188
1 yr31,474
2 yr31,463
3 yr33,368
4 yr42,856
5 yr52,164
6 yr61,333
7 yr70,333
8 yr79,281
9 yr87,917
10 yr95,853
11 yr103,311

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records (ages with at least 10 tests shown).

Reliability

70/ 100

Good

Composite of MOT pass rate, defect prevalence and cohort survival from 3,167,637 tests — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

84%first-time pass rate

35th percentile — Below catalogue average

Based on 326,127 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01Mechanically a Golf for less money - cross-shop both; the Leon often represents better value used.
02DSG automatics want on-schedule fluid changes; watch early 1.5 TSI for cylinder-deactivation judder.
03The Cupra/FR versions are the sporty picks - check them for hard use.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the SEAT Leon, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Around average

Theft risk is around the UK average. Like most modern cars it has keyless entry, so relay theft is the method to guard against.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a SEAT Leon into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

UK charging network

119,080 public chargers across the UK

As of 2026-04-01, the UK has 119,080 publicly available EV chargers, up 12.6% on the prior year (13,281 added in 2025). 23% of those are rapid (50 kW+) or ultra-rapid (150 kW+), so the network can support both home and on-route charging.

3-8 kW

50%

Standard

8-50 kW

27%

Standard plus

50-150 kW

12%

Rapid

150 kW+

11%

Ultra-rapid

Source: Department for Transport / Zapmap · Released 2026-05-21 · DfT statistics

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this SEAT Leon as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 124 g/km and a WLTP electric range of 80 miles, using £28,000 as the P11D value.

Tax year	BIK %	Tax @ 20%	Tax @ 40%	Monthly @ 20%	Monthly @ 40%
2025-26	29%	£1,624	£3,248	£135	£271
2026-27	30%	£1,680	£3,360	£140	£280
2027-28	31%	£1,736	£3,472	£145	£289
2028-29	31%	£1,736	£3,472	£145	£289
2029-30	31%	£1,736	£3,472	£145	£289

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported SEAT is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~110

Large network

Mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (SEAT is 2.4% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

Length

4,300 mm

Width

1,790 mm

Height

1,460 mm

Kerb weight

1,350 kg

Boot

380–1,250 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

Of every SEAT Leon ever registered in the UK, this is what's actively on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, or gone for good.

Total ever registered

230,081

Currently taxed & on road

197,224

86% of all registered

SORN (off road)

15,464

7% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

17,393

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

-2.9% vs 2024

148,229197,224

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Jul 2026

Common questions

SEAT Leon, answered

Is the SEAT Leon ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol SEAT Leons from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
What insurance group is the SEAT Leon in?: The SEAT Leon sits in insurance group 15 of 50, towards the cheaper end of the scale. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.
Is the SEAT Leon reliable?: Our reliability score for the SEAT Leon is 70 out of 100 (good), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 84% at the reference age.
What economy does the SEAT Leon get?: Expect roughly around 4.8 miles per kWh for a typical SEAT Leon, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.
What are the common problems on the SEAT Leon?: On the SEAT Leon, the issues that come up most by mileage include Tyres & wheels, Suspension and Brakes. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.
How many SEAT Leons are on UK roads?: About 197,224 SEAT Leons are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

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Same underpinnings

Built on the VW MQB platform

Volkswagen Group's modular transverse-engine platform underpinning a huge range of cars from supermini to mid-size SUV. Introduced 2012 with the Golf Mk7. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Volkswagen Group Modularer Querbaukasten · Volkswagen Group

Common questions

SEAT Leon, answered from the data

Is the SEAT Leon reliable?: The SEAT Leon scores 70/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 35% of the cars we track. That is computed from 3,205,974 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used SEAT Leon cost?: A 2023 SEAT Leon with around 29,634 miles is worth roughly £14,050 today (typical range £12,700–£15,450). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the SEAT Leon depreciate?: A new SEAT Leon typically loses about 35% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the SEAT Leon?: The SEAT Leon sits in insurance group 15 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used SEAT Leon?: The most common age-related issues we track for the SEAT Leon are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the SEAT Leon cost to run?: Expect around 50 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.