Leon MK 3 road noise or tyres problem

[BillyL]

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a MK 3 FR Sport 2.0 TSI with 18-inch alloy wheels and Firestone 225/40 R18 tires manufactured in 2022.

When driving on A roads or highways, my wife and I experience significant road noise that is quite unbearable. Even though I always drive within the legal speed limits, the noise is sharp and piercing.

This road noise is noticeably different and more pronounced compared to my previous vehicles like the Honda Jazz and VW Golf, which didn't have this issue. We measured the noise level to be around 85 decibels.

If the road noise issue cannot be improved, it will be difficult for us to use this car for daily commutes.

I have a few questions and would appreciate your insights and suggestions:

1. Is road noise a common issue with SEAT LEON, or is it specific to my LEON?
2. If I want to improve the road noise, would changing the tires or downsizing to 17-inch alloy wheels be more effective?
3. Are the methods found online for soundproofing the cabin effective? I prefer not to dismantle door panels or carpets to avoid damaging the vehicle.

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts.

 

[Jay5959]

Leons are noisy, they don’t come with much sound deadening. I notice it when I’m in the wife’s merc, so much quieter. One thing to check first is tyre pressures and check that there’s even wear across all tyres as if the tracking is out that can cause more noise. I don’t have any any experience with firestones but I have Michelins on mine and they are loud, especially at motorway speeds. I believe it’s easy enough to remove the carpet and wheel arch lining (on the inside) to add more sound deadening. There’s a few thread on adding it to the boot, rear arches and rear seat bench which apparently helps a lot. It’s on my to do list. In the interim, I find most noise issues in the Leon can be fixed by turning the radio up

edit, I went from 17s to 18s, no obvious change in cabin noise. Wouldn’t bother downsizing if it were my car

 

[SRGTD]

Also check the inner edge of the tyre treads on the rear tyres to see if they have worn in a stepped / sawtooth pattern (also known as cupping). If they have, then they will generate a droning noise similar to worn wheel bearings.

With sawtooth wear - if that is the cause of the excessive noise you’re experiencing - you’ll probably be able to feel it if you run your hand around the inner tyre tread. When it’s particularly bad, you can also see the ‘ steps’ in the tread, like in the picture below.

 

[BillyL]

Thank you Jay5959 reply, about tire pressure, I also noticed that the LEON requires higher pressure, around 38 PSI, compared to the usual 32 PSI I used to have. Additionally, I don't understand why there are different pressure recommendations for three passengers with some load, with front tires at 42 PSI and rear tires at 39 PSI, and front tires at 38 PSI and rear tires at 35 PSI. (Refer to the attached chart, the first two rows.)

I tried increasing the tire pressure to front 38 PSI and rear 35 PSI, but there was no noticeable change.

I'm leaning towards prioritizing the replacement of quieter tires to address the issue.


Thank you SRGTD reply, Let me go check, but I want to consider the long term. I am planning to buy new tires to avoid the existing problem. However, I'm not sure about the difference between using tires with a noise rating of 72dB and 69dB, considering they are of the same size. My experience with tire usage is limited.

 

[andylong]

69db is half as loud as 72db.

Could make a lot of difference

 

[andylong]

Large tyres make more noise than smaller ones and wider tyres will too, there's more rubber in contact with the road.

You can pick a tyre for low road noise and improve the sound deadening for optimum quietness

 

[BillyL]

Large tyres make more noise than smaller ones and wider tyres will too, there's more rubber in contact with the road.

You can pick a tyre for low road noise and improve the sound deadening for optimum quietness

Do you have any recommendations for quieter tires? I plan to visit each tire manufacturer's website and select tires in my size based on the lowest dB rating according to the EU tire label

 

[andylong]

I like the tyrereviews website and the YouTube channel. The website lets you search for tyres on a number of criteria.
The dB rating should be accurate but I've never selected tyres for noise, usually performance and cost...

 

[andylong]

Bear in mind the tyre noise ratings are for external sound and the rumblings from the tyre, bearings suspension bits and the car bodywork etc will all contribute and be transmitted internally. Additional soundproofing will cut down all these sounds both internal and external and reduce the effect a body shell has of behaving like a speaker.

 

[tomosllyr]

I've put sound deadoning on the boot floor and most of rear arches. Easy enough job with minimal dismantling needed, and has made a big difference to cabin noise. I'm planning on doing rear seat base and front arches as well, but wont bother dismantling door cards or removing interior carpet as I'm already happy with the result.

 

[BillyL]

I like the tyrereviews website and the YouTube channel. The website lets you search for tyres on a number of criteria.
The dB rating should be accurate but I've never selected tyres for noise, usually performance and cost...

Thank you for your reply, I try to learn more about tires brand and characteristics, there are so many brands and models, but my knowledge of tires is lack. Thanks for your sharing.

 

[BillyL]

Thanks andylong your input, my friend said that the vast majority of road noise comes from the tires, so we should address the condition of the tires first to reduce the noise they produce.

At the same time, I also hope to add more soundproofing materials to further improve the situation. However, removing some interior parts and then restoring them is a big challenge for me, as I tend to break things every time I try to do so.


Thanks tomosllyr your sharing, I have been searching for some materials to treat the boot floor because it can be done without removing any parts, which seems worth a try.
Could you share what materials you used to treat the rear trunk floor?

By the way, I noticed that when there are passengers in the rear seats, the road noise seems to improve. Apparently, something is dampening the road noise coming from the boot floor and directing it towards the rear seats.

 

[BillyL]

On a side note, I don't understand why the road noise in the LEON is so pronounced, but online reviews don't seem to mention this issue.

I understand that the LEON is positioned as a relatively entry-level model within the VAG group, and they may need to cut costs in various aspects. However, is the level of road noise too excessive, leading owners to install soundproofing materials themselves? But then again, considering there are many LEONs on the market, it's hard to believe that the majority of owners would resort to soundproofing.

Maybe I am particularly sensitive to road noise, or perhaps there is indeed an issue with my tires.

 

[Walone]

Thank you Jay5959 reply, about tire pressure, I also noticed that the LEON requires higher pressure, around 38 PSI, compared to the usual 32 PSI I used to have. Additionally, I don't understand why there are different pressure recommendations for three passengers with some load, with front tires at 42 PSI and rear tires at 39 PSI, and front tires at 38 PSI and rear tires at 35 PSI. (Refer to the attached chart, the first two rows.)

I tried increasing the tire pressure to front 38 PSI and rear 35 PSI, but there was no noticeable change.

I'm leaning towards prioritizing the replacement of quieter tires to address the issue.


Thank you SRGTD reply, Let me go check, but I want to consider the long term. I am planning to buy new tires to avoid the existing problem. However, I'm not sure about the difference between using tires with a noise rating of 72dB and 69dB, considering they are of the same size. My experience with tire usage is limited.

The middle row of tyre pressures is what they call the 'Comfort' setting, you will get slighty less fuel economy than using the higher pressures.
I would suggest, if your tyre is still listed, bearing in mind that there are a lot of variations of the 'same' tyre, see what the rated noise level is.

 

[BillyL]

Update: After inspection, I noticed that the rear tires feel like they have a stepped pattern when touched, but the wear is not too severe. It's not easily noticeable by visual inspection, and I could only detect it by running my hand over the tires. The stepped wear appears to be more pronounced on the rear tires compared to the front ones.

While I'm not 100% sure if it's a stepped/sawtooth pattern or cupping issue, just in case, I plan to get a wheel alignment done when I replace the tires.

 

[Chris Bartram]

I have a Mk3 FR TDI, I don't find it particularly noisy, but the sawtooth wear will produce a drone, I had that with my Mk2 Leon, and a wheel alignment and different tyres made all the difference.

 

[DEAN0]

Update: After inspection, I noticed that the rear tires feel like they have a stepped pattern when touched, but the wear is not too severe. It's not easily noticeable by visual inspection, and I could only detect it by running my hand over the tires. The stepped wear appears to be more pronounced on the rear tires compared to the front ones.

While I'm not 100% sure if it's a stepped/sawtooth pattern or cupping issue, just in case, I plan to get a wheel alignment done when I replace the tires.

The MQB platform is known for the saw toothing on the rear tyres.
It is not caused by tracking.
It is more than likely the cause of your drone.

Do you know anyone local who would do a rear wheel swap with you for 20 mins or so to prove it before you get new tyres ?

 

[BillyL]

The MQB platform is known for the saw toothing on the rear tyres.
It is not caused by tracking.
It is more than likely the cause of your drone.

Do you know anyone local who would do a rear wheel swap with you for 20 mins or so to prove it before you get new tyres ?

I will contact the dealer the solve the problem because I just bought the car a week. I hope after wheel alignment can avoid that happening again.

BTW, why the MQB platform lead the saw toothing happen? Is something wrong with the suspension design?

 

[BillyL]

I have a Mk3 FR TDI, I don't find it particularly noisy, but the sawtooth wear will produce a drone, I had that with my Mk2 Leon, and a wheel alignment and different tyres made all the difference.

Thanks, Mate.

So....after wheel alignment and new tyres, is that never happen again?

 

[andylong]

Toe in and improper inflation are the primary causes.
Lightly laden axles suffer more and tyre rotation to a different axle will minimise this effect.
Tread pattern can influence it, there's complicated reasons why this happen beyond my understanding