Cupra Leon MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Cupra Leon MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Cupra Leon passed on its first attempt in 83.4%, and its overall record sits +4.4 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Cupra Leon in the 2023–2025 data: 404 tests across 2 model years (2020–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Cupra Leon MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Cupra Leon, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Cupra Leon's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Cupra Leon DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Cupra Leon, each with how many of the model's 404 tests it was noted on.

• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 12 Cupra Leon tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 11 Cupra Leon tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 11 Cupra Leon tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 8 Cupra Leon tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 4 Cupra Leon tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (Major) — noted on about 3 Cupra Leon tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Cupra Leon Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Cupra Leon model year on record is 2020 (87.7% across 146 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (84.1%). The gap between them is 3.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Cupra Leon Owners

These checks follow this Cupra Leon's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Cupra Leon.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”

  Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.

• the shock absorbers — “shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”

  Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle in one bounce; if it keeps rocking, or you can see oil weeping down a shock absorber, that is the fault a tester will find.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Cupra Leon. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Cupra Leon MOT & Reliability