View Full Version : Build Quality
I have been thinking of buying either a Leon or Toledo for a few months now. One of the things which attracted me was the high levels of build quality recent Seat's are supposed to have.
Glancing down this forum has begun to make we worry whether this is actually the case. Subjects such as : leaks, creaky dashes, blown speakers, bad brakes, failed dump valves, EDS problems, problems with leather cracking, engine starting like a diesel, more leaks begin to make me wonder whether the build is actually up to scratch.
My current Ford has covered 20K miles and been totally free of faults. Not even a blown bulb.
Don't get me wrong I am not slaggin Seat's but this build quality thing is starting to worry me since every time I look on the site there seems to be somebody else with a fault on their car.
Are you lot just unlucky or have Seat got a problem?
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I think you have to put the "Faults" mentioned into proportion. Take any car, and I mean ANY and if you look hard enough you will find a "Fault" with it. Most of the posters on here are Hardcore SEAT fans and therefore find fault with everything.
As for build qaulity, its an Audi/VW in fact the build qaulity of the SEAT Leon is better than the Golf, for instance, shut the door on a Golf, then shut the door on a Leon.
Leon's are built in Belgium, Golf's are built in South Africa, since the Golf has been built here there have been numerous callbacks.
The leaks you mentioned happen on a few models of the Leon, basically the Seals on the doors are too good. The ******* things dont let water out, there is nowhere for it to escape, a little nick in the rubber is all that is needed.
Engine sounding like a deisel, Most 20VT models sound like a deisel when started, its a feature, the TT does it, the S3 does, as does the Quatro sport. Once the engine is warm its fine.
Failed dump valve, happens on the older 20VT engines, had mine replaced on Friday under warrenty, 5 min job. The newer engine are not rone to this.
EDS, heard of no specific problem other than it not being avaialable on the newer models.
Leather craking, everyone I know who has Leather have not had a problem. Mine has been fine after 8000 miles.
So basically run of the mill problems posted by people on a forum which is there to help peeps with probelms. Out of the 500 members 2% at the most have issues.
Now compare this with Dagenham dustbin owners http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/smile.gif Sorry could not resist.
Come join the fun.
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Lee Shand
www.seatcupra.net (http://www.seatcupra.net)
Lucky_32
08-10-2001, 22:50
Yeah,
we do tend to moan.
My boss at work got a new vw Bora....
When my parents got a Merc SLK.....
Believe it or not....... it wasn't perfect!!!
Gosh....
Mind you the Merc was bloody close (mutter mutter).....
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Boot it.....
I have been driving ford cars for the last 15 years and most recently a brand new focus and 2 new mondeos (old shape).
The focus arrived with colour coded bumpers that were a different shade to the rest of the car. The rear seat belts were too short to go around our child seat.The recirculation motor packed up. The mondeo's air conditioning and heating blowers did not work on the day i picked it up. These are jsut some of the problems i faced in owning a ford.
I am related to a ford employee and therefore receive a very good employee discount however i have lost a bit of faith in fords build qualities and so decided to buy a leon cupra purely because of all the excellent reviews it was getting.
I have now done 1000 miles in 1 month from new and i cannot praise the car enough. Build quality is excellent ,believe the reviews go out and buy one, you won't be dissapointed
Andy
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Cupraman - aren't Leon's now all built in Spain rather than Belgium ?
Hehe, you should be a spin-doctor: "basically the Seals on the doors are too good" - now that's what I call positive spin http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/biggrin.gif
Yorkie
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Still built in Belgium I belive. I stand to be corrected though http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/smile.gif
http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/eek.gif http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/rolleyes.gif http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/eek.gif
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Lee Shand
www.seatcupra.net (http://www.seatcupra.net)
Cupramax
09-10-2001, 09:13
Corrected....
Toledo's are built in Genk,Belgium on the same production line as the VW Bora.
Leons are built in Spain and although still very good are not up to Toledo standard. Believe me I know, I've had both..... http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/frown.gif
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Max
Imperial Blue Leon Cupra RSD soon to be!
choccylad
09-10-2001, 09:28
Don't worry mate about any of the small problems These only occur on al samll amount.
Remember if people have a problem they will mention it, if not they will not praise it.
I had a clio 172, on there forums everybody seems to have problems also but this is not the case either. But having said that there were more problems with Clios and I think everyone really did have problems with there because it was so much more unundated than this one.
I also had a look at a Lotus Elise web site and there one also looked ten fold worse.
So from what I can make out, SEAT's seem sorted.
Chill, and get German !
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I have a Leon 20vt 4 (four weel drive) since Febrouar 01. The car has run 8500km and no problem at all.Everything works perfect. The built quality is exellent. The car it's so much fun!!!
I just want to ask something. The Leon 20vt Cupra is the front weel drive model? Becouse here in Greece there is: a. Leon 20vt(1.8t 180ps front weel drive), b. Leon 20vt4(1.8t 180ps four weel drive) and c. Leon Cupra 4 (2.8v6 204ps four weel drive). So i am a litle confused when i read about the Leon Cupra. In U.K. is there 4weel drive Leon? And if so what is the model name? http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/smile.gif
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Want to know where your LEON was built ?
Look at the label on the o/s/f seat belt ( at the bottom on the B pillar) this is where it was built.
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Graham @ Amethyst
Contact us at:
amethyst@seatcupra.net
My TDi has done 23000 miles (35000km) and no quality problems to report.
Neil
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Thanks for the replies.Glad nobody took it as me having a pop at Seat's!!. I accept the fact that you guys are fanatical about your cars and want them to be perfect and that most of the faults are not really major, and can be fixed quickly.
Interested to hear stories of problematic Fords. Maybe I have been lucky with mine. Certainly Fords do not appear to be built to anywhere near the standards of the VAG group cars in terms of shut lines, interior quality etc . HAving said that VW have not been doing well in recent reliability surveys and often come out worse than Ford.
I don't want to get into an argument about who is best cause there is no point.
Anyway I will carry on looking at the site while I make up my mind about what to get next.
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Cupramax
09-10-2001, 19:39
If what Graham says is right its humble pye time.
Mine is made in Austria !!!???? or are you just having a laugh and thats where the seatbelts are made seeing as they've got VW splattered all over them......
Also while crawling around the floor in the dark I found a button which judging by the markings on it, turns off the interior motion sensor on the alarm. You learn something new here everyday. I didn't even know it existed... Usefull seeing as the dog gets very p*ssed off with the alarm going off when he's left in the car http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/biggrin.gif
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Max
Imperial Blue Leon Cupra RSD soon to be!
There is a saying.... Never purchase a vehicle in it's first year model production run. As it takes about one year to sort out the niggling faults that EVERY new vehicle seems to have.
Mercedes, BMW, The New Mini ! They all have faults to need sorting, in the first year of production with a new model.
I think The Leon must be nearly there.
When I used to sell Cars, the manufacturer that allways semed to get it right (nearly) first time was Honda. And I am told from friends still in the trade that this is still the case.
But they don't sell what I want.... The Leon Cupra.... Come to Daddy !!!!
Brian http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/wink.gif http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/biggrin.gif http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/biggrin.gif http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/biggrin.gif
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arpuc@seatcupra.net
I've got an Impreza Turbo - 3rd in 7.5 years and with miles totalling 152,000, I've had 1 radio fault, 1 CD Changer fault, 1 horn fault and 1 clock that packed up.
My Wife's 20 month old Focus Zetec 1.8 has: rust, rattles, clonks from the rear, a gearbox that jumps out of 1st (or when "fixed" by the dealer, doesn't like going into reverse...), poor hot starting, lousy fuel consumption, excessive wind noise from the driver's door seal, and a n/s electric door mirror that packed up, along with the windsreen wiper motor (when it was raining of course), fog lights that blow fuses as soon as they're used and a few more things, but I'm boring myself here, let alone you lot. Ford and their dealers? Don't care... We've reached the stage of threatening to stop the lease payments (again). Thank heavens we don't own it and nver will.
I'm looking forward to Leon Cupra ownership.
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