Seat Leon 1M 1.6 16v purchase

[Lot78]

Hi.
I am a beginner and I live in Europe ,Romania.
I was looking for a car that would fit the budget of 1500-2500 euro ,and Seat Leon is a car I like a lot because of it's looks.
Can you provide me information about reliability and what are the most common and frequent problems?
I mention I would not like to spend more than 100-200 euro per year for maintenance and repairs.
This is what I've found over the internet :
-electric system causes voltage peaks ,so the bulbs from the lights and taillights burn ;
-gaskets wear out very fast so if not changed frequently it might rain inside the car ;
-water can go through the tiny spaces from the taillights and wet the trunk ;
-the ABS pomp crashes frequently so it needs repair and it's expensive ;
Are this problems just a part of them or are there more? Are these problems even associated with the Leon?
Can those be fixed by better aftermarket pieces?

 

[bruceR]

Hi, some of the most common problems with the Leon are:
Door panel seals wear out and let water into car - easy DIY fix
Door lock modules wear out and cause problems with locking/unlocking - easy DIY fix
Tail light seals wear out and let water into boot - easy DIY fix
Rear window washer pipe comes loose and let’s water into boot - easy DIY fix

There might be a few more problems that the petrol guys will be able to point out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chriswales6]

I seem to remember there was a problem with some of the smaller petrol engines splitting gearbox cases.

Other than that as listed above lots of small problems that can be fixed yourself if you're able to. There's plenty of parts avaible and online guides since the Leon is a Golf MK4 underneath.

You can run them on a budget but they're old now. Finding a good one is getting more difficult. Buy a neglected car and it could cost you over 1,000 in the first year repairing it.

 

[Lot78]

Ok ,thanks for answering.
Would an Ibizia/Cordoba be a lot cheaper to repair and maintain ?

 

[chriswales6]

If the Ibizia or Cordoba are around the same age as a Leon there's not going to much difference.

I've had my Leon for 14 years, some years it's cost me under £100 for an oil change. Other years it's cost over £500 in repair bills.

You have to be realistic with the running costs of a car. Normal things like brakes, tyres & suspension will need doing at some point. As well as things just breaking on older cars. I budget at least £500 a year to keep my 2003 Leon on the road.

 

[Lot78]

If the Ibizia or Cordoba are around the same age as a Leon there's not going to much difference.

I've had my Leon for 14 years, some years it's cost me under £100 for an oil change. Other years it's cost over £500 in repair bills.

You have to be realistic with the running costs of a car. Normal things like brakes, tyres & suspension will need doing at some point. As well as things just breaking on older cars. I budget at least £500 a year to keep my 2003 Leon on the road.

Honestly I think I could afford to pay £400-£500 per year for the car.