Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 814 tests analysed

CUPRA Leon 2021: reliability & common MOT faults

152 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2021 CUPRA Leon in 2025. The item recorded most often on them was Tyres — Condition (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Petrol Leons passed first time 8.7 pp more often than hybrid ones (86.7% of 309 vs 78.0% of 505).

First-attempt pass

81.3%

of 814 first tests (2025)

First tests

814

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

152

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

38.8%

Tyres — Condition (front)

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

81.3%

of 814 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

82.7%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

814

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 4.0 yrs · median mileage 33,634 mi

vs 2024: -0.6 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Wear patterns

Usage and mileage effects that often track road use rather than model design.

These patterns look like wear or usage effects rather than model-specific design faults. Tyres, brake friction material, and alignment-related defects often track mileage and road use.

Pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Tyres — Condition (front)
Tyres > Condition
 Front 59 ×2.4 38.8% Wear
Tyres — Condition (rear)
Tyres > Condition
 Rear 50 ×2.3 32.9% Wear
Note: These patterns are not treated as a model design fault in our common-faults ranking.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Brake discs (rear)
Brakes > Mechanical brake components > Brake discs and drums > Brake discs
 Rear 24 ×2.2 15.8% Wear
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

On this year, prefer the petrol. The hybrid cars passed first time 8.7 pp less often, on 505 tests.

This year also sits 6.0 pp below the midpoint of the 2022 cars either side of it — a real break in the model's own run, not the usual year-on-year drift.

Other Leon years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2022 Leon +6.0 pp better 87.3% 624

What to check on a 2021 Leon

The items that failed 2021 Leons most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Tyres — Condition (front) — recorded on 38.8% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Petrol Leons passed first time 8.7 pp more often than hybrid ones (86.7% of 309 vs 78.0% of 505). In 2025, 81.3% of 814 first MOTs on the 2021 CUPRA Leon passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 82.7%. Among 152 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), we highlight MOT failure patterns that show up more often than on cars…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2021 CUPRA Leons most often at the first attempt were Tyres — Condition (front) (38.8%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table answers.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2021 CUPRA Leon (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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