2025 Arona Special Edition 115 FR Ltd Edition - with some weird actions

Aug 3, 2025
7
2
Ive had the above since April, it was registered in January 2025 and returned to the dealership as buyer changed their mind. Its a manual gearbox.

When I first set the car up, My SEAT App would not let me become Primary User - seems the previous owner was.
I raised this with SEAT in Coventry, who tried some resets themselves and got the same problem.

The car unlocked the doors and boot over night, I signed in as myname used my PIN and went out, stopped quickly to shut the boot properly. I came back to the car after an hour to find it say Hello, rather than Hello nyname and did not ask for my PIN. When I got home I found the previous User was not listed and my additional user had disappeared. Since then the car chose to unlock the boot 3 further times, but leaves it on the catch.

Following another trip to the dealers they followed the official Reset Battery, Car, Keys and still had the same problem - they are now requesting a replacement M3 unit (I presume the infomation systems inners).

I don't drive that often, I had some time off work when it rained - I found the instructions to use the auto wiper function to be confusing. Driving in the rain felt odd, it felt like the car was driving according to the conditions. I also noted that the drivers wiper arm is set low - I have 2 to 2.5" strip of unclean windscreen on the drivers side by the A Pillar.

Other gremlins.

I was driving in a 30 mph zone, the speed monitor dropped to 5 mph, I had no warning beep. actual speed was 30mph. On another occasion I was on a a single carriage way running parallel to the motorway and was informed my speed should be 70mph. Driving around my sons village estate, I am faced with numerous warnings I am speeding because the car thinks it is 20 mph, or rather it will be at some point as there are no signs to say 20 mph.

Yesterday I went out to a Military Fair, I approached a village with Average Speed Cameras. I was in 6th I braked, slowed down to 30 mph and came back into 3rd Gear, at which point the car sped up to 35mph ... causing the speed beeper to go off. I slowed down quickly under the speed limit.

I have had the car stop me in an emergency when another car nudged forward very slightly on a side street. I presume thats a good thing, I was grateful the vehicle behind me was at a safe distance.

The other issue relates the rear camera, because of the wide angle, it makes the car impossible to park parallel to the kerb - I either park with the rear tyre on the kerb side and the front out about 4", or park 4" out at the rear and 8" out at the front.

Had the door open buzzer go off when sat close to a van in at traffic lights, no warnings on the display. Doors were all shut, shut off engine and start again.

I've sat in the car with the engine on and the infomation system turned off, it then starts telling me to add a user or add my pin number and keeps repeating that, turning the engine off had no effect as it came back on with a restart. I solved the problem by turning the infomation system back on.

Several times I have stopped at a destination and left the driver door closed whilst I listen to the radio - the car indicates the A for auto engine off and suggest restart manually.

The gear recommendation tells me I can go into 6th at 40mph, but 6th works below 30 mph and when you do this you cannot stop, the car appears to speed up slightly (as I mentioned above with the Average Speed Camera).

When I turn the steering wheel it reaches lock then I turn it a little more and it moves again - does this both ways.

Yesterday I noticed a new light on the infomation system top left looked like a warning similar to the self parking feature.

The car appears to be slow, that could be due to the ride height, although 4cm shouldn't make much difference. There is a worrying wine from the engine when pulling away fast, revs go up to 6000 rpm but seem to lack the increase in speed my previous car could do at 4000 rpm (Previous car2016 i20 SE).

With all these issues, you can imagine I'm not a happy owner. All I wanted on a new car within folding mirrors and a reversing camera on top of parking beepers; I got the Tardis instead. Hopefully once the Dealers get the module and solve the issues I expect the car to behave lol. I find the amount of information on the digital dash is to confusing - will try to turn off speed recognition and rely on my eyes on the signs rather than a computer telling me to speed or slow down to a crawl. 6th gear will be discussed with the dealer - whether thy can adjust a setting so 5th is the highest choice until say you reach 50mph?
 
Aug 3, 2025
7
2
I mentioned about turning the speed recognition off - you can, but then you have to turn it off every time you start. Bit of black tape on the display...?

To clarify the 6th gear issue, it might be that as I change down, it picks up the revs of the lower gear forcing an increase in speed? ie you need to go 6 5 4 3 rather than 6 3. if so that makes it a pointless gear to use on winding country A roads.

In the back of my mind I think the previous owner has done something to the car - otherwise their are hundreds of FR 115 ltd editions with the same faults
 

Glosphil

Active Member
Nov 10, 2004
489
222
Gloucestershire
You drive in 6th gear at 30mph!!! That's less than 1,000rpm. I won't use 6th at less than 50mph in my wife's 2019 Fabia with the same engine/gearbox. Nor would a friend with same combination in Polo.
 
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Reactions: sidknee
Aug 3, 2025
7
2
You drive in 6th gear at 30mph!!! That's less than 1,000rpm. I won't use 6th at less than 50mph in my wife's 2019 Fabia with the same engine/gearbox. Nor would a friend with same combination in Polo.
To be honest I thought new cars would be clever, this one clearly isn't why does it let me to change down ffs.
 

Glosphil

Active Member
Nov 10, 2004
489
222
Gloucestershire
If it's a manual car how is it supposed to stop changing into an inappropriate gear? The instrument display will show the suggested gear in all situations - in my experience often suggests to high a gear. It will also show when you should change up or down the gears.

How long have you been driving? Trying to use 6th gear at 30mpg suggest a you haven't been driving long.
 
Aug 3, 2025
7
2
Thats a bit of a rude question - Ive been driving for 39 years, I have never had a car with a 6 speed box before and had the Arona for 3 months, I'm learning it still. I have read the manual and it doesn't suggest speeds for 6th, its just optimised for consumption...

My concern here really is that why did the car speed up in third when dropping the gear from sixth?
 
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