MY69 Seat cupra issues

Tazz

Active Member
Nov 6, 2019
23
5
Hi guys

Took delivery of MY69 cupra at the start of the month and loving the car. However I have 2 problems.

First issue is gravel noise from the road. The first thing I realised when I drove the car first time was gravel noise.

I have driven on the same route for about a year for my daily commute in my 2006 1series, never had an issue with hearing gravel being kicked up from the road and this is from a car that had 129k on the clock at the time of selling.

The sound is coming from the rear passenger sides. Best way to explain it is, it just sounds like when the roads have been gritted and the grit salt is being kicked up from the road in to the cars arches. Anyone else having this issue or realised it, surely the cars sound dampening is not that bad?

The gravel noise is really pissing me off as it just makes the car sounds cheap!

My second issue is about after a week of owning the car. I done about 150 miles if that, I realised that after a week the steering wheel is not straight, Is my alignment is out? I did not go over any big potholes either.

Bit of a long shot but will alignment be covered under warranty as the car has only 600 miles on it.

Any responses will be appreciated as I’m not sure what to do. Don’t really want to give the car in as I’m enjoying it so much. But if I have to then I have to.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
You have went from a bmw to a seat, the quality is not comparable. You could fit some carpet / felt to the rear arch lining to counter the effects of the stones hitting the arch lining i guess.

you could see what the dealer says about the alignment but i think they will palm you off and it will be your problem to get alignment done and they will point the finger saying you must of hit a pothole, you know how it goes. Can always try though
 

Tazz

Active Member
Nov 6, 2019
23
5
You have went from a bmw to a seat, the quality is not comparable. You could fit some carpet / felt to the rear arch lining to counter the effects of the stones hitting the arch lining i guess.

you could see what the dealer says about the alignment but i think they will palm you off and it will be your problem to get alignment done and they will point the finger saying you must of hit a pothole, you know how it goes. Can always try though

I mean my bmw was 13/14 years old with 127k miles. I would’ve thought the seat in this day and age would have some decent sound dampening at least in terms of gravel hitting the arches.

To compare, on the same roads I can’t hear the gravel noise in my dads Toyota!

I feel like they’ve not put some sort of dampening under the arches at the factory. Surely the seats build can’t be that bad considering the interior etc is very nice.

I was just hoping it wasn’t just me having this issue.

I agree with you on the alignment side of things. I think I’ll just have to visit kwik fit and get it sorted. Hate seeing the steering wheel crooked when I’m driving straight. Makes my ocd nuts!
 

Foordy

Active Member
Apr 15, 2019
14
9
I've got the MY19 Cupra and can hear gravel noise quite badly when I'm leaving a works car park which is all gravel. I only hear this when leaving the car park and maybe a 1/4 mile down the road, never had any issues when normal driving though.
 

Mikertroid

Active Member
May 31, 2019
142
39
My 69 Cupra isn't in the same league in terms of quality as my 09 E91 325i.

You get what you pay for I guess....
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
I mean my bmw was 13/14 years old with 127k miles. I would’ve thought the seat in this day and age would have some decent sound dampening at least in terms of gravel hitting the arches.

To compare, on the same roads I can’t hear the gravel noise in my dads Toyota!

I feel like they’ve not put some sort of dampening under the arches at the factory. Surely the seats build can’t be that bad considering the interior etc is very nice.

I was just hoping it wasn’t just me having this issue.

I agree with you on the alignment side of things. I think I’ll just have to visit kwik fit and get it sorted. Hate seeing the steering wheel crooked when I’m driving straight. Makes my ocd nuts!
They have cut a lot of costs in these new cars, i had a mk1 leon fr and it was better screwed together than the mk3 leon.

the arch linings installed on the leon’s are actually paper thin, probably 1/2 the guage of what they used to be. I lost one to a stone at under 10k miles as it just disintegrated, never have i seen a thinner arch lining on a car.

thinking about it im almost certain bmw’s have a carpet / felt ontop of the archlining on the rear.
 
Last edited:

Tazz

Active Member
Nov 6, 2019
23
5
They have cut a lot of costs in these new cars, i had a mk1 leon fr and it was better screwed together than the mk3 leon.

the arch linings installed on the leon’s are actually paper thin, probably 1/2 the guage of what they used to be. I lost one to a stone at under 10k miles as it just disintegrated, never have i seen a thinner arch lining on a car.

thinking about it im almost certain bmw’s have a carpet / felt ontop of the archlining on the rear.

that's pretty sad to hear, I guess that’s why you pay a premium for the golf r and Audi s3
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
that's pretty sad to hear, I guess that’s why you pay a premium for the golf r and Audi s3
Yeah even cut costs on things like boot carpet and interior carpet in the leon, leons get that horrible cheap and nasty carpet that shows every bit of dirt / gets hairs stuck in it
 

Tazz

Active Member
Nov 6, 2019
23
5
Even my old honda on an 08 plate (type r) had nice quality carpets and felt / carpet in the rear arch linings

that’s quite disappointing, other than that I can really fault the car. Makes the car sound really cheap.
 

Mikertroid

Active Member
May 31, 2019
142
39
really? You would’ve thought the quality would be better especially in a 10 year gap!

You would think so, but the quality difference is very apparent. I like my cupra, but it doesn't feel built to last like my Beemer does.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
that’s quite disappointing, other than that I can really fault the car. Makes the car sound really cheap.
Its one of the reasons you get the golf / audi, i think i will go with an audi a3 next time around, just missing that last 10% quality finish, the leon dash and doors are acceptable, the finish to other things just lets it down a tad, and they aren’t cheap cars, my leon fr was 21k (list price)
 

Tazz

Active Member
Nov 6, 2019
23
5
Its one of the reasons you get the golf / audi, i think i will go with an audi a3 next time around, just missing that last 10% quality finish, the leon dash and doors are acceptable, the finish to other things just lets it down a tad, and they aren’t cheap cars, my leon fr was 21k (list price)

yeah I think I’m with you on that one.
 

Slickric21

Active Member
Feb 23, 2019
549
250
Norfolk
I’d agree with this also.
As much as I love my 6month old R ST it’s everyday I seem to uncover a new rattle or creak. It’s driving me up the wall tbh. !!

Technically superb car, but just let down by cheaper interior.
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
They have cut a lot of costs in these new cars, i had a mk1 leon fr and it was better screwed together than the mk3 leon.

the arch linings installed on the leon’s are actually paper thin, probably 1/2 the guage of what they used to be. I lost one to a stone at under 10k miles as it just disintegrated, never have i seen a thinner arch lining on a car.

thinking about it im almost certain bmw’s have a carpet / felt ontop of the archlining on the rear.

All the plastics under the car are pretty cheap and nasty (although many of the same parts are used on the Audi A3)
My 13 plate C Class Merc has what looks like Astroturf under the arches and is super-quite in terms of road noise.
 

Oldbutswift

Active Member
Mar 23, 2016
285
91
No chance of getting alignment done on warranty, had the same issue with my Porsche.
Maybe,but I would be saying to the dealer that I’d only done 600 miles,the wheel wasn’t centred from day one and this is the first chance I’ve had to bring it back...