Repairs and Costs Over 205,000 miles in a SEAT Leon Petrol
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
- This 2014 SEAT Leon is my learner car which I've owned since new and have covered 205,000 miles mostly with learner drivers behind the wheel. In this video I detail everything that has gone wrong and how much it has cost to fix and keep it in nearly new condition over that mileage. Also, I have recorded over 600 fuel tank fill ups so I have an accurate fuel economy figure.
00:00 Time not mileage
02:38 Warranty repairs
06:36 Out of warranty repairs
16:00 Wear and tear
26:02 Servicing
29:13 Paint
30:35 New cost and options
31:36 Engines and suspension
35:02 Finance
35:32 Why I've kept it
45:12 Costs
50:58 Replacement? - Auta a dopravní prostředky
One careful owner, 1000 drivers.
Nah doesn’t matter that car is in outstanding condition he keeps on top of everything even down to the carpet as u seen you wouldn’t get a Leon in that condition and spec at all nowadays cuz nobody puts in that amount of effort
Its like counting the body counts on a car lol
@@bengilrane well it's his work car, not to mention, he can write off all of the expenses
I think in the USA if my memory serves me right, an oil rig worker managed to clock in 1 million miles on his Toyota Tundra just driving from rig to rig to maintain them.
Toyota sent their engineers and bought that car from the guy so they can examine the engine.
And Toyota gave the guy a new one for free.
It's refreshing to see someone be so in touch with how their car should feel and keeping up the maintenance, after all these are hard working machines and can only do their job with your help replacing components and servicing
I can't believe this previous gen of Leon is 10 years old! Those cars still look great and modern and the interior is far superior to the new cars from VAG (as also many other brands nowadays)
I thought they were at least 2016
Much better than the other vag cars of this gen. Vw look mad outdated but seat did really well alongside with audi
My old 08 Mondeo is still alive. I took it from 19k to 180k. Sold it 7 years ago and saw it a few months back. It went to Tromso in Norway (6000 miles in 2 weeks) and down to Gibraltar, everywhere in between. Same clutch and only bits n bobs going wrong. That car was a legend and I once did 840 miles in Norway before the fuel light came on. It would do 45mpg on the autobahn over 100mph and would eat miles. I'm glad it's still alive but in a new home. I sometimes wish I kept it.
Mondeos are hugely under-rated cars! Mk4s were very popular with taxi drivers doing the long distance airport runs.
@@ZadsterI've got a mk4 titanium x and I love it. Quiet, comfortable, quick enough and economical. Ten year old car that hasn't failed an moy
@Zadster I think too many abusers owned them. I avoid ford at costs simply because the quality isn't like before my neighbour was a taxi driver always needed work constantly on his car had it 5yrs he wished he sold earlier. I have heard of them with lots of issues so steered clear as there were better options on the market
I had a 1.8 tdci Ford Focus years ago. Kept it five years, ran perfectly and had been ultra reliable although now it would cost me in clean air zones but I wished id kept it a few years longer to stop me getting a lot of debt with new cars on finance. Bad move. Im getting another car soon, second hand, cash buy. I hate car finance these days.
@oddities-whatnot get a toyota or lexus mate you'll love their reliablity or go for a 2.0TDIs or 1.9TDIs
Wow! This vid deserves a million views. I watched every minute. I too am an ADI but I don’t know how to work on cars…. Hence I pay full price for servicing and repairs and I “trade in” for replacement cars FAR too often. I must have spent thousands more than you. I’m also an avid researcher of cars on CZcams which has led me to believe that VAG cars are to be avoided (unreliability). But after watching your vid, I’m actually surprised and impressed with how your 1.4 TSI has held up. This vid blows my mind with how accurate you have been with record keeping etc. One last thing…… I can totally relate to your desire for that special car (the GR Yaris). I succumbed to that urge a few years ago and bought a Fiesta ST for driving instruction. Crazy idea and completely inappropriate. But my god, it was fun. I’m not officially recommending that you do it ( the ride was quite unforgiving) but if you DO buy the Yaris I’m sure you’ll have a ball 😊
He picked the right engine, not too small, not too large. There's no timing chain or DMF. Diesel were better before 2007 but not anymore. It doesn't have start-stop and most crucially, just accepts that things will occasionally go wrong with random stuff and doesn't cheap out.
@khalidacosta7133 I got a 2016 skoda fabia estate 3 months ago from a dealer only to find out it had never had any work done it had all original discs pads suspension so on . I just spent £800 replacing everything only for the engine to seize up its a 1.0lt mpi 3 cylinder apparently you need to keep an eye on the oil but the owner before me drove 120.000 without an oil change
@@khalidacosta7133I would argue diesels are a lot better then what they used to be except the reliability ofcourse but with any other car, service and maintain it.
@@gullible119 They are old hat, keep up.
@@khalidacosta7133 Strong rose tints I think. The things that went wrong would have written the car off under many circumstances.
Richard, you are an absolute legend. Your attention to detail is second to none. I cannot believe that you have added up every fuel receipt over 205,000 miles. However, this attention to detail has paid off as not many cars driven under these sort of conditions would last nearly as long - I think that Seat should give you an award! All the best for the next 205,000 miles.
This feels like it could be the start of a legend, like with those 1 million mile toyotas or the 1 million mile volvo you might have heard about, except a 500K seat would be in many ways just as impressive
It's good practice, if the mpg is about where it should be you know everything is working as it should. I've kept every single bill for my car, excluding parking meters, I've tried on occasion to tot it all up and have always given up in shock.
How in the name of god did you manage to make me watch a whole ass 1 hour video without skipping a minute, you’re amazing and so is that seat. I wouldn’t go for a Mazda as I’m not sure it would stay rust free on the underside for a long time
Sadly true, 2010 M3, 110k miles later and it’s flagged for rust around the side sills other than still ticking over and starts first time
Thinking this also, think he's just one of those people worth listening to.
My instructor is awesome but if I lived in colchester I would go with this guy (If he was brave enough of course)
I think another reason you can add to that list of good points about this car is the looks! This era of Leon still looks modern, fresh and sleek to me - whenever I see one or watch your videos I find it hard to believe that the design is almost 11 years old... and I was 8 years old when you picked up this car in 2014 (time really does move too fast!) and that point about the sentimental value - very true! This car if you think about it has been the one that helped you grow the Conquer Driving CZcams channel - a channel that now almost has 750,000 subscribers! It can be hard to let go of certain things - especially when you get used to them! If you wanted to sell it you could probably flog it to Car Throttle, they might like another high milage hero ;)
Well done. I Have got an Audi A3 1.9 TDI Automatic since 1998 with well over 700 000 kms, which I drive by HAND. So keep this SEAT. Greetings from Cologne in Germany. With 51 litres of Diesel I can drive 1337 kms from Spain to Belgium for example...
Goddamm, what have you done with the car to get 700k km out it? Commute from Spain to Belgium everyday???
Also how has the car held up in terms of rust?
1.9tdi is very good
original gearbox? what are the gearbox service intervals?
A3 8L 1.8T 1996 (manual 6speed) Owner here, My dad has had the car since brand new and it now has 312 000km, I've done a hair shy over 40 000km in it and it's one of the most fun, soulful and reliable cars I've had the pleasure of sitting it and I absolutely love it, still drives perfectly in 2024 and doesn't have a spot of rust on it, absolutely Love both the 1.8T and the 1.9TDI Engines, as well as the cars they came with, cheers for doing over 700 000 km in it.
@@aden3113 no. I can not walk so good and I drive around 30 000 kms every year. There's no rust. I have bought it from New. It is still very good. Thank you.
I am a viewer from the United States and in 2001 I purchased a brand new Saturn LW300 wagon.
That model is an Opel/Vauxhall Vectra B modified for the US market.
It has the 3.0 24v V6 and 4spd automatic.
It has 386,000 miles on the original engine and transmission and the car starts instantly regardless of how long it's been sitting or the weather and runs and drives fine. The only issues it's ever had were shift solenoids that were replaced at 220,000 miles and multiple valve cover gaskets.
It has never failed to start and it's only been towed twice.
Once when the fuel pump failed and once when the alternator failed.
Routine servicing by a knowledgeable mechanic over the years has resulted in exemplary reliability and durability.
It is a semi-retired dog taxi and extra vehicle now but it still accumulates between 7 and 10000 Mi a year.
A 2018 Buick Regal Tourx which is a rebadged Opel Insignia replaced it and it's already accumulated 135,000 MI it is showing similar levels of reliability and durability.
Vauxhalls always want valve cover gaskets haha. I've owned two now both been the same. Luckily they are very inexpensive to replace. When anything goes wrong on a vauxhall cost of parts is very competitive. Shame the company has been sold off, it's pretty much a dead brand now.
Don't the next Opel. 2018 means it's stioll a GM, as of now Opel is owned by PSA which means Opel's engines are PSA made and oh boy do they have problems... catastrofic engine failures due to direct injection PLUS having the timing belt go through the fucking engine oil. Never ever buy a French car. They are total crap.
There aren't many 1 hour videos I watch all the way through, but Richard this is an incredibly insightful, powerful, informative and important video that young drivers should watch. I am also impressed though at how much of the maintenance and part changes you did yourself! Whilst I realise for many of us, the labour costs are likely to be an additional factor to repairs and maintenance, there is so much common sense in this video backed up with proper hard evidence. I've always liked this Seat Leon even though I've never owned or driven one! Looks to be a great motor and I don't blame you for hanging on to it. Changing seats, headlining, steering wheels, handbrakes and carpets.. wow that is true dedication but also an example of how you can preserve a car (and the planet), as well as your wallet! Excellent video Richard, thank you for this and like other viewers I hope this takes off and gets plenty of views.
1hr? ah sod that. 2mins is enough
That car has lived an exceptional life and it's amazing to see it still in such great condition.
This video explains a lot as I wondered how your seats and steering wheel looked so nice with over 200,000 miles.
Not surprised to hear you mention the Mazda 3 as a potential replacement vehicle. Every other car I look at buying, I always think "I could get all those features and more from the Mazda 3 for many thousands of pounds less".
I feel very at home and happy driving the latest Mazda 3.
I have the 2019 mazda 3 and it is a lovely car
@@michaelgilmore8821 Mazda is always an option for me if i get another car.
Really good report . Thoroughly enjoyed .Best video I have seen this year .
What a brilliant video, full of lots of facts, details and stats through the 10 years and 205,000 miles. Loved it, thank you!
I love long term reviews and seeing your fastidious maintenance/replacement schedule is superb. Crazy to think most people are replacing cars on a much more regular basis. Thanks for sharing!
The amount of useful information condensed in this video is out of this world for fellow Leon owners. Thank you.
she's been well-looked after and it shows
thanks for recounting your ownership experience
Never watched video like this after years of surfing.Bravo from Serbia!
You should be proud of all good drivers you have produced. I often take a look to polish up my driving.
Very nice and thorough explanation of most cars most used period with not a small amount of miles!
This guy makes good videos, no b.s straight facts, easy to understand
Awesome video!
Nothing wrong with feeling a connection to the car. 😂
Really glad you have kept every detail in!
Great to see how much care you take of your car Richard, even though it is a learner car and a car that you use mostly for videos. I've recently passed my test and got a 2013 Ford Fiesta 1.2 petrol with 43,000 miles on the clock. I'm hoping with the right treatment it will last for many years to come 😃
Well done Richard! 👍
It was a good decision to keep it and well done for saving extra on maintaning it yourself!
Over all a good deal.
Video long but very informative and pleasure to watch every minute 👍
This was a video I was hoping to see. Very informative and just goes to show that cars will last a long time if treated right.
I can also see your point in wanting to avoid used cars, it’ll be nice to avoid inheriting the results of someone else’s maintenance habits.
The attention to detail, in terms of record keeping is also very impressive. I’ve tried to maintain a spreadsheet with a note of all repairs I’ve had done, but I’ve not maintained that as well as I’d have liked
This is the most informative video I have ever watched in years. The information given here is amazing and I am stunned by how much detail and depth he has kept his maintenance records in check. The fact that the cylinder head was changed at such low mileage makes me doubt the reliability of Volkswagen products. However this video proves that proper maintenance will always result in longer stress free ownership of the car.
Absolutely testament to your decision to put your faith in Seat, your decision has absolutely paid it’s dues.
This car has had to work many times over than equivalent commuter vehicles yet has only had issues associated with wear/tear and/or issues from the factory replaced under warranty.
You seen to have had very bad luck with your VAG folding mirrors motors, my 10 year ford mirrors have yet to fail so keeping my fingers crossed!
Many mechanics will swoon at the underside of your car at that age, many cars that haven’t even reached their warranty expiry look scabbier than the photo you showed, gobsmacked!
Super helpful video, know what to look out for now. I've got the same gen Leon FR, just crossed 90k miles.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the car!
Came across this channel by accident, it's the Conqueror Driving guy, helped me an awful lot getting me through my test. Thank you mate ❤
P.s. I've since sent your channel to a few learners, your works are priceless.
I watched this video in a breath and thats why I love CZcams, some random guy talking about most generic Seat and his 10 year expirience, but I love it every second, thats whats CZcams is about, sharing expirience about something in your life. IMO you should keep your car ( and get GR Yarris 🤣) because you talk with such passion about it, it''s not so much expencive to maintain, it have all the things for driving class and most off all "If it ain't broke, don"t fix it", in another words if it does a job, why change? Keep the good work, subscribed!
watching this beginning to end was a nice way to spend my sunday morning today. love the content bro
Richard's videos are so wholesome.
Wow, making me feel blessed. I've had my 2015 1.6 TDi A3 for almost 6 years and have had barely anything go wrong at 125,000
awesome video, so much detail too. My first car i still own is a fiesta mk7, 1.25 duratec, 2010. Its got 130k on it and still drives well, also came with fsh and bought it at 120k for £1750
Wow this video shocked me purely because you never failed to keep it in immaculate condition with every new video, it may look dirty but I wouldn't've guessed it to be a mile over 50,000 without looking at the odometer.
excellent video, thanks for making it, I'm actually quite impressed with this ownership experience
I got myself a second hand Seat Ibiza 2 years ago - absolutely in love with it. I suppose the LEON is even better to drive, but the whole aesthetic of their cars is so good, feels really classy both on the inside and outside.
Glad you were able to replace the infotainment system. This is what really dates older cars these days.
Excellent informative video that helps us VAG Group car owners knlw what to look out for… Great Content Bravo 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Love these kinds of videos keep it up Richard
Brilliant summary. I've got a 2017 Leon estate with 1.2 Tsi, 63kw, it's done just under 60K miles. So far I had absolutely no problems until last week when I got the dreaded loose fuel rail problem (well, not dreaded, I only learned about it after it happened 😊). From what I understand, a number of engines made in 2017 had the fuel rail incorrectly fitted when the four bolts holding it were not torqued properly due to incorrect tooling. The vibrations caused by the injectors work the bolts loose, some of them may snap and fuel starts spraying from the top of the engine. I had the four injector seals replaced and the rail bolted back on, hopefully correctly this time, it was around £200 to fix. This is of course relevant to all VAG brands, not just Seat.
Fantastic achievement that, especially when you consider all the idling hours on top of the milage. Youve well by her over the years!
Great video, thanks Richard!
It'd be so strange to see another car on the learner channel, but I give it 6 months before we see a GR Yaris 😂
I love the fact that you still use the same car for that many years instead of changing it every couple of years like some driving instructors do.
I have a Peugeot 206 2005, 1 litre petrol for 3 years now, after 6 months of owning it the timing belt snapped first and ruined the engine. Wasn't cheap to fix but looking back it was definitely worth it,
had other stuff done to it basically looking after it well, I've often thought about getting a new car but the more I get the Peugeot serviced and get things replaced, I just feel I know the car inside and out and how it drives.
It's not the most flashy and is more of a woman's car or "mom's car" but I suppose if a car hasn't really let me down considering the age it is I'd probably be better keeping it for as long as I can. Has 260,000 kilometres on it don't know what that is in miles haha. Keep up the great work as always Richard!
What an interesting video. And well done in keeping it running perfectly
Thank you for making these videos! Very informative and well explained!!!
Your channel just popped up. This is a great video. Well researched and put across!!! 👍💜
Firstly, what an amazing video and huge credit to you for keeping this car on the road and looking after it as too many people would do the opposite, very well done! Secondly, I would highly recommend the Hyundai i30, specially the N Line model, which comes with a 1.5 turbo four-cylinder petrol with 160PS. We have one and its absolutely brilliant and has had no issues in the 3 years we have had it so far. They are also on the cheaper side, undercutting the Golf, Focus, and a lot of other rivals, at around £26-27,000 for this top spec N Line. The N Line spec also gets a manual handbrake too, still, in 2024, even on the automatic models too, so having that manual handbrake is a win, and something very rare in this class of car nowadays, and you get a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty, so I would highly, highly recommend the i30 N Line, a very underrated car, that also looks and sounds good!
Thank you, I have considered the i30 and just about every manual car in this class as and when released. The I30N fastback was my favourite.
I have a VW Polo Gt with the 150ps version of the 1.4 act. It’s a very impressive & reliable unit. Certainly shifts in something a light as the polo!
Awesome video and happy birthday to the Leon!
I've been driving a family hand-me-down Opel Corsa D, turning 18 years old this year! Very low mileage (just 60k) and i really love it. It's been mine for 3 and a half years and so far hasn't had any major issues. Drives great, good fuel mileage (diesel) and i've driven it all across my country and a few times abroad. The only complaints that i have are that the seats are not great, after about 2 hours it gets a bit uncomfortable, and that it's pretty slow (just 75 PS). Also, I find it lacks a 6th gear on the motorway.
Other than that, I'm very sentimental about it since it's my first car and I'm planning to keep it as long as it's running. Wouldn't trade it for the world!
My current car is a 64 reg Ibiza Cupra with the 1.4 TSI engine (assuming its the same, maybe slight power differences due to model etc), with the DSG Gearbox. Absolutely love it. Seats to me are 10x better looking than VWs and Skodas.
I'd move down from Scotland to learn manual in yours!
I bought the estate version in March 2014 and I regret selling it on ,but I was short of funds at the time , I agree with all your sentiments expressed in the video, great car.
Very good maintained car! I have the same FR model, 1st owner 2018, facelifted model (1.4 TSI 150bhp), after ~40k km installed REVO official partner stage 1 tune, ~191 bhp, 300 Nm). The only warranty repair was the boot "shade" roll locker, which was faulty. ~100k km. Wear and tear: rear brakes and discs, tires, still original battery! (Start-stop disabled) and of course filters and oil changes.
Nice video I have a 2013 seat Leon for last 7 years think I will keep it as long as possible
Very interesting. I've owned the same Volvo for 31 years and do all my own servicing. Other than normal wear and tear items (brakes, battery, etc, and one clutch change) , the only major parts I've replaced are both front drive shafts. Everything else, including incredibly in my mind, most of the builds, are original.
What a fantastic video! I love the GR Yaris, great looking wee car! ❤❤❤
Genuinely excellent content from this channel, only just starting to get into cars fully due to the fact I'm currently in lessons and I'm looking to buy my first. Really nice insight into how much upkeeping a car can actually be, I know this might be a bit exaggerated and more costly due to the fact this is your primary teaching car but I'd argue for a car with the mileage this has a lot of these faults are probably to be expected regardless.
Keep up the great work!
What an insightful start to your video. I have a 13 plate diesel Focus with 208k on the clock from new. It still drives like new delivering 650 miles on 50 litres almost every time and uses almost no oil between servicing. But... It lives 90% of the time on the motorway at 60+ mph and always lives in the torque band between gear changes. Bits of it are looking like trigger's broom and mainly suspension items as our roads are so poor. But there are some other wear items: Clutch 180k, drive shaft 150k, a starter motor... Regular oil changes and the second cam belt is booked in. Tyres approach 50k between changes and I have only had one set of brake pads and discs. BTW: No advisories on the MOT! Your hours figure is massive, mine is about 5k and I have often though about that as my work is with large commercial and marine engines with 50-60-70k of hours and perhaps engine rebuilds at 20k. Why does this flick my swithch? My company are the UK Distributors for a bypass 0.5 micron oil filter system (plus fuel & hydraulics) that extends intervals between oil changes from 1k to 4k+ on large engines. This reduces downtime, reduces wear to the engine components and reduces cost to the operator. So by removing unburned carbon and moisture from the oil, the oil does not degrade and therefore there is less engine wear.
I have an 09 C5 Excl and an 06 Corolla coming up for 215k. One is broken guess which! but neither have ever let me down really, as I've cared for them! Good job!
would be fun to see you teach in a gr yaris! i was thinking through the whole video that you should get one and then you said it!
It would be silly I think to replace it at this stage when you keep up with wear and tear so well and service regularly this is how I like to keep a car aswell and it’s so refreshing to see someone else do it aswell but Leon is still a modern car in looks and technology I don’t personally like the Mazda u mentioned and it’s not worth the risk of losing the Leon’s OUTSTANDING reliability it’s a stunning car and i absolutely LOVE THEM I’m so proud of what you’ve done with that car it’s amazing 🤩
I've got the 2022 Seat Leon Estate 130 1.5 SE Dynamic, I'm planning to keep it as long as possible. I also self service and treat the under body with ACF50 against rust, I also wash it myself.
My parents have a 2014 DSG passat estate with 200k miles. Has been looked after all its life, and never provided any faults aside from a few engine lights here and there for minor things. great car and looks good being an executive model too, still no rust and bodywork is perfect.
have you had to replace anything in the gearbox
@@johnnycarruthers9737 Surprisingly no! just regularly serviced.
@@barryr10 that's good going 👍
I’ve done 217k in my 2014 Touran DSG without any problems. I service it myself every 9/10k and change the DSG oil and filter every 38k. Mine does mainly long journeys so has a fairly easy life. Just about to change the front discs from the originals. The original pads lasted 133k and rear pads 139k.
@@frimleyfrodo same here Leon cupra 280 dsg on 110k hopefully make it to 200k
Just bought my first (new-ish) car today! It's a 2021 Leon 1.0 TSI and I was partially inspired by you and your Leon. It's an amazing car (came from a 2010 1.2 Polo) and I'm hoping to have it last as long as yours is!
I also have a 2010 1.2 Polo, and I'm wondering about buying a Leon. How do you enjoy it after driving your Polo? Is 1.0 TSI enough?
@@fnShunI would say that a 1.0 tsi is enough. The 1.2 polos are either 60 or 70hp whereas the 1.0 tsi in the Leon is 108hp. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to blow your socks off or anything but it’s pretty nippy and good on the motorway!
@@xanpagebrown Thank you for response!
Brilliant video! I have a 19 reg estate with the 1.5tsi evo and I absolutely love it. First car I've had where im completely happy, it drives great, looks nice enough without drawing attention to itself. Has just enough bells and whistles but none of this stupid keyless entry and lane departure stuff that other cars pointlessly have. This video is a great insight in what I can expect to replace and how much roughly stuff will cost me. Thanks! Love the channel!
HI Richard...phenomenal piece of work. The detail in the presentation is just amazing. Nice effort! Very few people could replicate that level of wear and tear, or record keeping. You did a great job keeping the Leon in tip top shape, but were fortunate in that you are capable mechanic. Most folks would have faced bigger bills as a result of needing more professional assistance. SEAT clearly do a great job with bodywork and paint, plus the car functions and drives well. But just like my experience of other VAG products they're not as thoroughly tested prior to being put on sale as they should be, and the customer ends up doing some of the dev and test for them. That's what I found with a recent MK8 Golf, a nice car to drive, but literally awful from a software reliability perspective. Also after 2 years paint was flaking off the rear wheel arch. Shocking quality. You had a far better experience. Well anyway - great video - learned loads. Brilliant. Cheers! Rich 👍
Excited for this video! Thank you! :)
I love comprehensive videos like this!
I got my first car a year and a bit ago, a 2011 2.2 diesel Mazda 3 at 87k miles. Obviously nowhere the use as your trusty Leon, but it seems the previous owner was a busy mother so plenty of use! I've since done 40k miles on it, here's the things I've done, and the things that were done before I owned it:
- Rear roll bar links (before I got it)
- New rear struts (free recall before I got it)
- New condenser (corroded, I think because it was a Scottish car)
- Front roll bar links (me)
- Injector washers (known issue that they leak so I replaced them preventatively)
- Brake light pedal switch (me)
- Front calipers (one was siezed, managed to free it up but replaced them anyway)
- I refurbed the drivers seat as the boulster was collapsed and leather perished, I think the previous owner would sit sideways on it with legs sticking out the car when parked
- I installed new shocks all the way around but I think that was just me being anal, the old ones were perfectly fine
- Headunit with android/android auto/carplay
- I have a door handle ready to swap out, the keyless button is a bit worn out
There's no rust on the actual body, though there is on the subframe and what not, though not any more than my friend's A3 of similar age, and nothing to worry about, though I am fluid filming it now. I'm planning a timing chain, and front and rear control arm replacement, and intend to drive the thing till it explodes! 220hp and 50mpg is truly great
That must be mapped they're only 180 standard
@@johnnycarruthers9737 yep, had it mapped for £250
I drove exactly that Leon as a rental back in 2018 and was so impressed (even against many much more expensive cars) that i said to myself i´ll soon buy it. i didnt really need it cause my old one was fine so i pushed that plan a bit further down the line...and then covid hit and it was hard to make money. really glad i didnt buy the car shortly before and thus didnt have to pay it off when money was sparse. now, everything it back in normal working order again and, even after 6 years, i still gravitate towards exactlly this car. new car prices have gone up so much that i have a hard time justifying that for not much more in return (in some ways even less when looking at stupid touch controls, clogging particulate filters, increased weight, missing manual gearboxes s etc.). i will keep an eye open for a good used one. this video had really excelent insights! thank you.
wow, fantastic video. Thank you Richard
Can you do a video talking about all your past vehicles? I remember you mentioning a Vauxhall VX220 you used to have and I'd love to hear what other things you've had and how your experience was with them!
Excellent video really enjoyed this one and great insight my son as the same car and good to know what he will have coming up. He loves his Leon 👍👍. Thank you for that
I have a 2015 Seat Leon 1.6 diesel. It has 135000miles on it at present. I've owned the car since new and am surprised by the faults you've had with your car. To date I've replaced the front struts (misting) glow plugs, timing belt kit and all brake pads and discs once and one calliper. Still original alternator, battery and clutch. Has the same boot opener problem as you had. Full service history. I'm not easy on the car by any means, used it to pull a caravan all over the country, pulls trailer regularly and just basically a daily work horse. Interior is in great condition. Sadly the bodywork is showing some signs of age but just surface rust. This is why I've kept my Seat so long, worth more than me that anyone else. I totally understand why you've kept your Seat so long.
It's important to remember how many hours my alternator etc has been running for as apposed to miles. If I averaged 40mph I would have done 800,000 miles ish.
@@RichardFandersexactly you’re sat there got hours with engine on for learners
I love this kind of video, have you ever thought of doing another channel on your car and it’s maintenance? I’d certainly enjoy seeing it :)
I’ve been looking forward to this ☕️
thanks a lot for sharing this video. Super interesting. You just reminded me I learned to drive with my father's diesel car. And it was so difficult.
Thanks for the video, greatly appreciate your insights!!
As usual, really love your sharing.
Currently got a 2015 transporter 2.0 140ps with 371k service it myself and probably the best vehicle ive ever owned . Genuinely drives like its got 80k on it .
Auto or manual?
@@ln5747 6 speed manual
6 speed manual :)
Good video. I own a petrol direct injection 2019 ceed taxi. At 56000 no issues. Manual handbrake. Ave mpg 39. Still got 44k/2yrs of warranty left. Bought for 14k last yr second hand. Reverse cam, android auto etc. Worth a look.
I have the 2liter Diesel estate Version of yours on a 64 plate and I love it. It's now done close to one hundred and forty thousand miles and with regular preventative maintenance including oil changes every 9000 miles and cambelts etc every 60 thousand miles it has proved to be totally reliable with fantastic fuel economy. If you keep the engine in it's "sweet spot" E.G 1600 to 1800 rpm it'll do around 70 Mpg on a run easily
The most I've ever seen was on a trip to Lancaster, when restricted to around 50 mph due to heavy traffic for around twenty miles of the trip it turned in just on 90 mpg and yes i do have a photo of the on screen display to prove it! the only fault of note was needing the heater matrix replacing as it had blocked internally, a common failing I'm told, but with that now replaced I haven't had any other problems. one set of disc's and pads at about 80 thousand and one set of pads in the front since.
All four shocks were replaced at around a hundred thousand due to one front and one rear shock leaking and the original battery was replaced just before this winter, because like the one on your car it was showing signs of getting weak. My car is very rarely used for stop start town work and often does around 500 miles in a day so no probs with the DPF to date. Will I change it in the foreseeable future? Not on your life!
thank you for this, really informative.
making a decision on buying a car soon and this was so helpful
Wow what a video! Learnt so much! Thank you sir 🫡
My dad owned a Hyundai i30 from 2016 to 2021, car was quite reliable and the only thing he has replaced, excluding brake pads, etc.. was the rear wiper blade. He also used to do oil changes every 25-30k Kms.
Great video Richard!!
I have a 2017 Leon Fr, had it since 4k miles, and its now done nearly 100k. Only problems I’ve had is the dust cover for one of the alloy wheels came loose and had to be removed, and a common issue with Seats the boot seat logo no longer springs back into neutral position when opening the boot. Brilliant car.
I’m amazed how little that’s failed. Wear and tear items aside as expected. Good car! Still looks sharp and modern to me too. I’d for sure hang on for as long as possible. The savings are huge and it’s both good to drive & reliable.
Great Video, wow, what a well looked after car. Ashley Neal had the GR yaris on his list.
heya man, i just bought also bought a leon mk 3,5 off a german dude that drove it up an down the autobahn A LOT (250 000km since June 2017) so this video is a godsend in terms of preventative maintenance and information in general. thanks a lot. if you have anytthing else important to share i'm all ears :)
edit: but as i'm watching along, i have to disagree with 29:46, the bonnet on my nevada white ST is in terrible shape, the leading edge is absolutely ravaged by stone chips. but i suppose that is to be expected when you're going at high speeds.
I drove the Seat Leon 1.6 in Switzerland for a long weekend in late 2014. It was the newest car I probably ever driven with 20000km. I still remember driving it up and down some mountains. 😅
Amazing, I watched the whole video. They tell us to scrap our cars and ship heavy EVs to save the environment... I think you've got the right idea ❤
I’ve owned 2 MX5s and can understand why you want to get your hands on a GR Yaris - I own one and they are fantastic. However, the front brake disks cost £1000 to replace and the clutch costs even more and they do get through both quite quickly. In addition, the clutch can be tricky so probably not best for a learner - even experienced drivers tend to stall them more often. I still can’t blame you for wanting one and they are a natural choice for an MX5 driver.
Shame you haven't had a Honda, you could have had trouble free for all the 205k miles. But credit where it's due, the seat has done well. Very informative video
After watching this video ive definitely desided to keep my own 2015 Seat Leon FR ST another year. Besides it's fully loaded and runs smoothly after 140,000 miles .
i have 2 leon’s, one 17 plate fr 1.4 ACT and the others 14 plate 1.4, what i learnt from this is to remove the coil packs with a hot engine. I had to use a crow bar 😂 and the fuel cap locking mechanism failure seems to be quite common. I’m looking to code the start/stop to default off using VCDS and i’ve changed the boot struts to the ocatvia ones, so it can automatically open the boot if you hold the middle key button down. overall great cars and quite fuel efficient. I wouldn’t recommend ACT just due to the timing belt change being a lot.
I think I've seen some people say the GR Yaris isn't a great daily driver like you'd expect a small hatch to be, in light of it being mechanically so dissimilar from the regular Yaris for the sake of being so sporty. I would also assume the ride is pretty terrible. No rush to buy anything though - your Leon is aging so well and seems like it'll keep going forever. Thanks for the good video as always Richard
In depth. I like it!