84.7%
Cupra Leon pass rate
Used Cupra Leon buying guide
In 2025, Cupra Leon cars passed 84.7% of 1,623 initial MOT tests, 12.4 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific Leon? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Cupra Leon MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+12.4
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the Leon sits 122nd of 575 models in the data. Cupra as a brand averaged 89.2%, so this model runs 4.5 points behind its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Cupra Leon MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the Leon compares with similar cars.
Leon fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Cupra Leon cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the Leon fails its MOT
Where Cupra Leon cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (15.7%), condition has ply or cords exposed (14%) and condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (8.8%). See every common Leon MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Cupra Leon that failed, not a claim that every Leon has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used Leon?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 57.2% of Leon failure items.
2
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 10.7% of Leon failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 8.1% of Leon failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 7.8% of Leon failure items.
5
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 6.7% of Leon failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Cupra Leon failures cluster around tyres and suspension tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact Leon you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Cupra history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Cupra models
The most-tested Cupra models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the Leon.
See all 3 Cupra models ranked by MOT pass rate.
Used Cupra Leon FAQs
Is the Cupra Leon reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 84.7% first-time pass rate for the Cupra Leon across 1,623 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Cupra Leon?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Cupra Leon's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.