2017 SEAT Leon 1.4L Petrol · LO61 AAA

A pattern of mild but recurring advisories across the five recorded MOT tests defines the mechanical picture for this 2017 SEAT Leon, with no outright failures but several wear-related flags worth close inspection. The most recent test on 11 February 2026 passed with no defects recorded, which is a positive immediate indicator, yet the preceding 2025 test carried an advisory for light oil misting on the nearside front shock absorber alongside a minor stone chip on the windscreen. Earlier entries in 2023 noted nearside rear brake pads wearing thin and an illuminated tyre pressure monitoring system lamp, while the 2022 test flagged front tyres worn close to the legal limit on both edges. Taken together, the record suggests a vehicle that has been broadly roadworthy but exhibits progressive wear on suspension damping, braking friction material, and tyre shoulders rather than any sudden mechanical decline. The recorded mileage of 53,391 miles across a nine-year age equates to roughly 5,900 miles per annum, which sits well below the typical annual accumulation for a car of this type and indicates either genuinely light use or extended periods of inactivity between journeys. There is a notable gap between the February 2025 and February 2026 tests, both pass entries with consistent mileage progression, but the absence of tests in 2024 suggests the vehicle may have only just required its next annual assessment, and the spacing between the 2022 March test and the 2022 November test is unusually tight, hinting at either an early re-test or a change in keeper. Low annual mileage of this nature generally reduces wear on high-cycle components such as the clutch, engine internals, and brake discs through use, but it can accelerate deterioration of items that suffer from standing still, including brake calipers seizing, rear drum or handbrake mechanisms corroding, tyre sidewalls developing flat spots or perishing, and underbody corrosion progressing where moisture is not regularly driven off. Given the oil misting advisory on the nearside front shock absorber recorded in 2025, a prospective buyer should pay particular attention to damping performance on a test drive. Listen for clonking or knocking noises from the front suspension over speed humps and uneven surfaces, and feel for any continued bounce or oscillation after pressing down firmly on each front corner with the vehicle stationary, as a dampener that has progressed beyond light misting will allow the body to oscillate more than once before settling. Also inspect the shock absorber body and surrounding top mount for fresh oil residue, wet dust, or a black streak running down the unit, which would indicate the seal has deteriorated further since the advisory was issued. The nearside front coil spring and strut top bearing are worth a visual check for any signs of corrosion or play, as SEAT Leon front suspension components of this generation can develop knocking when the top mount bearing wears. The brake-related advisories warrant an equally focused evaluation, particularly on the nearside rear where pads were noted as wearing thin in late 2023. On a road test, listen for any grinding or scraping noise from the rear wheels that would suggest the pads have now reached the backing plate, and check whether the handbrake holds firmly on a modest incline without requiring excessive lever travel, as low-mileage rear calipers and handbrake mechanisms are prone to seizing through lack of use rather than wearing through friction. A visual inspection through the wheel spokes should confirm pad material thickness remains adequate and that the rear discs show no deep lip or scoring. The 2022 advisory on front tyres wearing on both edges warrants checking the current camber geometry and confirming the replacement tyres are wearing evenly across the full tread width, as edge wear on both sides together is more consistent with an alignment or suspension geometry issue than with inflation alone. Finally, with the TPMS lamp having been flagged in 2023, confirm the system now extinguishes after replacement tyres have been correctly re-pressurised, and verify that all four sensors are transmitting rather than a single failed sensor leaving the warning persistently lit.