Defective Seat Leon - manufacturer's warranties

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Thu 4 Oct 2001 11:05
Defective Seat Leon - manufacturer's warranties - steve
I bought a new Seat Leon 1.6S in April. It soon became apparent that rain water is getting into the car through the door panels. The Dealsership have had three chances to sort it but only made matters worse! They had the car for 5 full days and not only made the water problems worse but damaged the interior. Has anyone had similar problems? Has anyone ever managed to get a car replaced under the Sale of Goods Act? The water problem is serious!
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Thu 4 Oct 2001 14:46
Re: Defective Seat Leon - manufacturer's warrantie - Dave Y
Steve

HJ has a comment on this on his review of the Leon - you should check the drainage slits on the doors aren't bunged up with wax apparently.
I too have a Leon - how did the problem present exactly?
There's also been a recall warning though so far only in a German auto-mag - Autobild I think - about front suspension wishbone bushes. So far doesn't seem to have got through to the UK - dealer I bought from hasn't yet been told.
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Thu 4 Oct 2001 17:32
Re: Defective Seat Leon - manufacturer's warrantie - honest john
The recall on the Leon is only for Leon 20VT-4s, the four wheel drive basically Audi S3 versions, which we never got. The problem is the pair of lower rear hub balljoints which corrode slightly, then seize up, snapping the suspension arms. It was cured by new bushes on all VAG four wheel drives from March 2000 on, so it doesn't even affect the 150bhp Leon TDIPD four wheel drive. The water ingress is due to a poor seal between the door frames and the structural panels that hold the window winder gubbins. The doors don't have the old Golf Mk II plastic membranes.

HJ
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Fri 5 Oct 2001 09:02
Re: Defective Seat Leon - manufacturer's warrantie - Dave Y
Thanks for that on the recall HJ - explains why dealer didn't seem to be clued up. I'll stop worrying now
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Thu 25 Oct 2001 17:47
Re: Defective Seat Leon - manufacturer's warrantie - John
My Leon (New September 2000) also leaked water through (at various times) three of the four doors. They're all fixed now after several visits to the dealer who cures it by sealing the joint between the door inner panel and the door proper. There is a gasket but it's rather ineffectual ! Other VWs are a similar design but don't seem to suffer the same problem.

A friend (the only person I know who owns a Leon) has had the same problem.

HOWEVER my car still leaked water in (not through the doors) in heavy rain, soaking the front passenger footwell. Dealer reckons this was around the pollen filter housing and has now sealed it. It was only this Tuesday gone so I'm waiting to see if it's worked.
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