Leaking Doors?

[ARPUC]

Leaks!

As we are saving to purchase a 20vT/V5 I am concerned by the amount of teething problems with this/these cars.

SEAT. we all know you monitor this site (which does you a lot more good than harm).

So please sort this problem for your LOYAL (for know) customers.

It seems to me that if water is escaping from between the door and door trim, then the water is getting in through the window seal, or badly aligned door etc, but instead of escaping through the drain holes in the lower door edge, is filling up the door itself, and rising and spilling out over the inner door apeture into the car. Sealing the door trim to the door will not sort the draining of the water in the door, it will just stop it entering the car

I have a list beside the computer of every Leon fault reported on this site (it's a big one!) it makes quite terrifying reading.

SEAT re-assure me!!!!

Brian.

 

[andyb]

could you post the list arpuc

thanks

 

[ARPUC]

The list!

Andy.
I have just spent 30 mins typing a reply to you only to be told that I wasn't registered when i hit the submit button, and I have completely lost the post...... BREATH IN.... BREATH OUT....BREATH IN....BREATH OUT Oh dear , never mind

basically I said that I didn't want to sound as though I was bad mouthing the car, and that I would turn the list from messy scribblings on two 5" x 3" post it notes to something more readable, and would then email it to you.

I went into detail about how my wife and I fell in love with the vT immediately we drove it. And how I couldn't afford to make a mistake on the car we purchase as we will probably have to keep it for several years.

I praised LEE and THE BOYS. And FLAPPER and THE GANG from AMETHYST. And said how priceless the site is BLAH BLAH BLAH.

What about a COMMON FAULTS (and how to rectify them) FORUM heading. I now it is a bit negative but I am sure would be handy for many.

Regards
Brian.

 

[PipSqueak111]

How to rectify common faults:

a) take it to the dealer - use your warranty, after all, you've paid for it

b) take it to a GOOD dealer - use the Dealers, Your Say section to find a good dealer, and any problems that may occur will seem more tolerable

Please don't panic over the list of faults you have. The majority of cars on here have only had one or two problems since purchase, and many people have had none at all.

You won't be sorry when you buy it.

Phill

 

[RichardG]

All four doors on my 2001 Leon have been leaking over the winter - but the front doors are the worst!

Those that have not noticed visible water - may have experience dampness in the car that cannot be explained?????

It comes out the bootom of the speaker housing and along the bottom edge of the internal ancillary mounting panel.

I have written to SEAT (including photos) but have not yet had a reply - I will be printing out this thread and forwarding this to them as well.

Listers SEAT of Coventry have had my car for the last week and have done a sterling job of fixing the problem under warranty - although it has required the inventive use of silicone sealer in places.

This is clearly a significant issue with Leons and we should all start writing to SEAT UK now to make them recognise the extent of problems.

Richard.


[email protected]

 

[HRP]

Originally posted by Dean Bufton
But have you noticed that the water build up stems from the door trim. I used to think that the door wasn't draining properly, however it's not that on my car. I think that the water somehow gets into the inner layer of the door (between the inner door skin and the door trim). My rear doors collect water in the space between trim and inner door skin. If I press the lower part of the trim to make a small gap, water gushes out.

Dean, exactly the problem I have had with our Cupra from new (Sept 2001).
I voted for some door leaks although all doors leaked like this at one point. After two attempts (read lots of time wasted general inconvience etc) by our local Seat dealer and the confident statement "Yes it's definately sorted now Sir!" two or three doors still leak. Our local dealer say they have had twelve Leons with exactly the same problem.

 

[RichardG]

Check out this image!

To further demonstrate the issues with these leaking Leon doors - check out the attached image. Showing the drivers door on my car.

This is what happens when the leaking water freezes!!

And I have forwarded many more of these pictures to SEAT UK - what a surprise - they are yet to respond!!!!!

Richard.

[email protected]

 

[Brian27]

Just a thought here -

Could the water be somehow sucked into the door cavities by the effect of the air inside the door cavity cooling and contracting and creating a vacuum effect??

Maybe find out if people who have the temperature set high in the car have more probs than "cooler"cars.

Putting a warm upturned glass on a wet draining board, it draws the water up into it as it cools. (I got the door idea from this happening whilst doing me chores the other night!)

Say, it's just a thought, as there has got to be a wacky reason why some of these doors are filling with water.

 

[RichardG]

Good idea - but sadly mistaken.

The issue with the doors is a clear design fault.

The SEAT garage that has been working on my car demonstrated this to me.

Water is allowed to enter the inside of the door along the window seal - it is then supposed to drain down through the door and out through the holes in the bottom. The issue here is that some water - more on some cars than others - is actually building up next to the speaker housing and weeping (pouring in my case) though the internal ancillary mounting panel seal. Where this seal is not designed to hold out water, but to keep out dampness.

The fix must come from SEAT - at it would need to invovle the addition of a deflector of sorts that would keep water from the window off this internal seal.

I know I am starting to sound like a pain - but if anyone is experiencing these types of problems then write to SEAT. I work for an automotive consultancy and know that the major manufactures will do absolute nothing that might cost them a few extra pounds per car - unless there is a weight of complaints forced upon them.

My SEAT Leon is the best car I have ever owned - and I resfuse to let my enjoyment be lessened by a problem that couple fixed if SEAT were to accept it as a problem and address it!:rockon:

Richard.

 

[andyb]

after a few days of checking, I got a drip from the driver door this morning. Its from the little rubber seal on the very bottom of the door. The metal work between this and the door trim is dry ( I suppose it could of dried out) so not sure if its meant to do that, or not.

 

[PipSqueak111]

This is where the leak in mine always came from too. Mine certainly wasn't coming from the trim as some people have said it is on theirs. Mine was caused by a build up of water in the door sill, that was coming over the seal and into the car. Dealer changed the seal, and problem solved.

 

[Keddy]

Just to add by $0.02 worth

Those lovely chaps at Amethyst applied the "fix" to my TDi about 2 weeks ago and I have to say it has made absolutely no difference what so ever. There is tremendous water build up on the door sill which spills over the top of the door seal into the foot well.

If indeed SEAT do read this forum then surely by now they must be in a position to comment and provide feedback to their concerned customers......

This is really starting to dampen (literally!) my views of the car and indeed SEAT

So come on guys ..... please

Tim

 

[Dean Bufton]

Thank you

Well, it would seem that there is a genuine problem with SOME of the Leon's out there, including mine.

Thanks for your input Keddy - perhaps Swinny or Flapper could explain what the "fix" is and if it works, perhaps Keddy was just unlucky.

I will be writing a letter to Seat UK within the next few days, as well as mailing them via their web site. I will feedback any information on this as soon as I get it.

It may also be interesting to list all dealers that have provided a solution that works.

 

[andyb]

is it me, or does the Leon board seem full of complaints now. Do Seat have problems now production has switched to Spain?

Not had my car long and cant really complain at all, excellent, but one of the most important things I demand is good dealer service (so far only recvd at Amethyst) reliability and good customer service from the manufacture.

Like I said, seems I'm blessed with a car than Pedro or Juan didnt slack on, but the frustrations of others could well lead me away to a competitior come sell time.

I hope Seat UK are listening. There are some very loyal customers here on this site.

 

[JonesDonhue]

Loyalty can be pushed too far, however. I agree with RichardG, unless there are countless complaints, no manufacturer I know of would lift a finger to fix such a damaging fault as a leak. I can't have passengers in the back of my car now as the carpet seems to have risen a couple of inches, is soaked through and seems to have a thick wet sponge below it. What damage this water is doing to other areas of the car I can't imagine.

I will TRY with Seat UK (record so far, 2 emails sent, 1 useless reply), but the point is we shouldn't have to. Did we not all part with many thousands of hard earned pounds/euros/whatever, Seat should acknowledge the design fault and rectify it. In the very least, all those who have contacted Seat should receive prompt replies outlining the actions being taken to rectify the fault.

If I treated my customers this poorly, I would be out of business, end of.

The Leon is a superb car, reasonably put together, comparitively well priced, and a hoot to drive enthusiastically, but come on fellas, with so many people complaining of a serious fault (in the UK it is VERY serious!), surely we should expect better?

LeeJ

 

[AndyD]

Well, after I thought my doors were fixed (rear off-side passenger door was the culprit), I came out to the car this morning to find the carpet and mat behind my seat piss-wet through. I'll phone Mark at Parkstone tomorrow and keep you updated as to what happens.

At least most people have only had relatively minor niggles - I'm on my second engine !

 

[dave]

Iam kicking up a fuss with seat uk(very poor service from seat uk, the guy i spoke to was a arrognt twat) and my dealer(dealer trying his best), keep you all posted

dave

 

[Mosser]

I opened my door this evening, having not driven the car for 1.5days, and found loads of water flooding out of my doors when i opened them and a small amount of water had leaked into the car, the bottom of the doors just below the door card was wet too,

This is the first time this winter that my car has sat for so long without being used which might be a pointer as to why some people dont seem to have the trouble with their cars leaking, Hmmm....

 

[dave]

you hit the nail on the head there mosser

dave

 

[Taurean]

I have recently fitted new speakers to the doors in my Leon as replacement for the factory units. In doing so I obviously gained access to the interior of my doors and found that they where p****d wet through. Also when finding a route for the power cables from the battery to the boot (amp's) I noticed that the passenger side of the car's carpet was damp.

I have recently booked my car into the dealership and they say they will have to keep my car for 3 days in order to find the problem.

Has this happened to anyone else out there.

Leon TDI 110 SE Imperial Blue