SEAT Leon (2005 – 2013) (2023)

"Having had my 2004 SEAT Leon Cupra diesel for over 10 years and hitting just under 200,000 miles, I find myself at the stage where the engine requires replacing. It's beyond economic repair so I need to buy a new car. I'm looking to purchase something similar - another SEAT Leon, Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf or Skoda Octavia VRS Estate. Is there any reason I shouldn't go for a diesel? I have a budget of around £10,000-£12,000 and I cannot see an argument for buying a petrol over a diesel right now, but I am wary of spending that amount of money on a diesel car only to be hit by increased running costs from the government as they look to promote EVs. Is there any reason not to go down this route? Thank you."

Diesels still make a lot of sense if you cover a lot of miles. As you've covered 200k in 10 years, it sounds like a diesel would be perfect for your needs. We'd recommend a petrol or hybrid vehicle if you live in a city centre or cover a lot of short journeys but, if you regularly cover long motorway trips, go for a diesel.

"My son bought a used SEAT Leon FR from a friend two weeks ago for £2000. It was in excellent condition with a full service history. On Thursday, two young lads on pizza delivery mopeds came to his place of work to make deliveries and decided to race each other round the company's private car park. One of them hit a speed bump and crashed into my son's parked car, severely denting the front wing and cracking the bumper; the Leon had to be jacked up by the AA to remove the wedged bike. My son has had a quote of £1600 to repair the damage, meaning the car is likely to be called an economic write-off by Papa John's insurers. The car is still drives well and the whole incident was recorded on the company's CCTV. It's unfair that my son should have to buy his car back from the insurance company, if it is written off, and to deal with all that hassle himself (his own insurance is third party). He also has to have a car for commuting daily from Norfolk to Cambridge. So, should Papa John's pay for any damage and inconvenience, and restore my son to his original position with regard to an unblemished car? Is there any legal route my son could pursue such as the Small Claims Court, if necessary?"

Firstly, do not deal with the at fault party's insurer directly. A vehicle is only ever a total loss when the repair cost is more than the market value. If this isn't the case, insist on it being repaired. Your son's entitlement is here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/insurance/coles-v-hetherton-what-it-means-for-you/Do not listen to what the insurer says, your entitlement is there. Constructive total losses do not exist. If your son claims via his own insurer, and they advise we only pay up to a certain amount of the market value, ask them to highlight where in the contract of insurance they can limit their indemnity to less than the market value. No reference is also made in the new salvage code to constructive total losses. It is your son's car, he decides what happens to it. He is also entitled to another vehicle whilst the claim is ongoing, and any out of pocket expense and inconvenience incurred. Stick to your guns, do the above. You could always claim via a solicitor or regulated claims management company.

"My 2010 SEAT Leon 1.6 TDI is being called in for its emissions fix. But before this could be done my car went into limp mode and a failed injector was diagnosed. Is this common on this car?"

It's a fairly common fault and because the emissions fix involves re-sequencing the injection it needs to be fixed before the fix can be carried out. It's also quite common on Ford, Citroen and Peugeot with 1.6-litre diesel engines.

"I've owned my 2012 SEAT Leon SE Copa 1.6 TDI DSG for just over 1 year now. At the beginning of the month a light came on indicating a fault in the emissions control system, which was immediately followed by the car failing to engage gear. After being with a local garage for almost a month, I was informed the problem was caused by the gearbox failing to link with the computer/electronic gear selector but when they tried to fix the gearbox it began to fall apart. The SEAT garages, who had been contacted to fix, were quoting £3500. The car had been serviced annually and has only done approx 43,000 miles. While I understand that SEAT's warranty is only 3 years, surely a gearbox should not just stop working like this? The garage has advised that I contact Seat to see if they could pay for half the bill as a goodwill gesture. What do you think?"

This 7-speed dry clutch DSG has always been a problem. It was recalled around 2012 to replace the synthetic oil in it with mineral oil because the synthetic oil was becoming conductive at high temperatures causing the Mechatronics to lose drive. It's possible that being a 2012/62 yours was filled with mineral oil right from the start. However, filling with mineral oil turned what was designed to be a maintenance-free, sealed for life transmission into one that requires fresh oil every 40,000 miles. Had your car been maintained by SEAT dealers you would have been warned of this. Obviously worth contacting SEAT, but they may take the view that because your car has been dismantled by an independent dealer they are not liable.