Car
SEAT Leon
83.1%
pass rate across 605,475 tests
80.0% first-time pass rate
SEAT Leon vs Volkswagen Golf
The two cars compared on 3,710,623 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
Car
Volkswagen Golf
82.1%
pass rate across 3,105,148 tests
78.8% first-time pass rate
The short answer
SEAT Leon edges the MOT comparison
Across 3,710,623 tests, the SEAT Leon has the stronger first-time record: 80.0% against 78.8%, a 1.2-point gap. On all MOTs the SEAT Leon is ahead at 83.1% versus 82.1%. Even after adjusting for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Volkswagen Golf is +2.3 points against its expected rate, the SEAT Leon +0.9. A typical repair bill is similar: £35–£90 for the SEAT Leon and £41–£106 for the Volkswagen Golf; at their pass rates that is roughly £594–£1,514 versus £727–£1,896 per 100 tests. The costliest common failure on the Volkswagen Golf is CV boot severely deteriorated at 3.1% of tests, up to £250 to fix.
- First-time pass: 80.0% vs 78.8%.
- All MOTs: 83.1% vs 82.1%.
- Like-for-like: +0.9 vs +2.3 points.
- Typical repair bill: £35–£90 vs £41–£106.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 79.4% vs 77.8%.
| Measure | Leon | Golf |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 605,475 | 3,105,148 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 83.1% stronger figure | 82.1% |
| First-time pass rate | 80.0% stronger figure | 78.8% |
| Against the UK average | +2.1 pts stronger figure | +1.1 pts |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | +0.9 pts | +2.3 pts stronger figure |
| Average mileage at test | 96,405 mi | 89,803 mi |
| Model years on record | 2000–2022 (23) | 2000–2024 (25) |
| Best model year | 2021 · 90.0% | 2024 · 98.1% |
| Worst model year | 2006 · 72.1% | 2004 · 69.3% |
| Typical repair bill | £35–£90 stronger figure | £41–£106 |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £594–£1,514 stronger figure | £727–£1,896 |
| Main fuel | Petrol 55% | Diesel 50% |
| Variants recorded | 2 | 7 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
Golf
- Shock absorber leaking 13.2% £30–£75
- Suspension arm corroded 3.2% £35–£85
- CV boot severely deteriorated 3.1% £80–£250
- Linkage ball joint dust cover insecure 1.4% £18–£45
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | Leon | Golf |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 86.4% · 61,120 tests | 89.7% · 228,968 tests |
| 2018 | 86.5% · 70,648 tests | 90.7% · 199,660 tests |
| 2019 | 86.4% · 60,882 tests | 91.3% · 170,458 tests |
| 2020 | 88.9% · 28,154 tests | 93.0% · 124,040 tests |
| 2021 | 90.0% · 6,997 tests | 92.6% · 55,653 tests |
| 2022 | 89.8% · 1,210 tests | 93.7% · 24,619 tests |
| 2023 | — | 95.4% · 850 tests |
| 2024 | — | 98.1% · 53 tests |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | Leon | Golf |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 91.9% · 48,371 tests | 94.3% · 261,629 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 87.2% · 165,101 tests | 89.9% · 689,799 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 83.3% · 160,996 tests | 83.6% · 730,591 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 79.4% · 120,676 tests | 77.8% · 630,647 tests |
| 120k+ | 76.9% · 110,136 tests | 73.6% · 788,242 tests |
What to check before you buy
SEAT Leon
- Shock absorber leaking — 18.8% of tests, £30–£75 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2006 at 72.1%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Volkswagen Golf
- Shock absorber leaking — 13.2% of tests, £30–£75 to put right.
- Suspension arm corroded — 3.2% of tests, £35–£85 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2004 at 69.3%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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