Hey thanks for the message, well the previous owner did have a dog and take it in the rear which is just crazy. Why would you????One possible explanation for a leaking rear seal if we are talking about the rear hatch door seal is body distortion. This may be inherent in the model design due to the extra dynamic body stresses in a high performance hot hatch- the latest version has received considerably more under body stiffening. Renewing the rear seal may effect a temporary cure only for the fault to re-occur in a short space of time. Previous experience may have taught the dealer to avoid getting on this "rear seal renewal" merry-go- round???
Mercedes-Benz AMG A45
and---if the previous owners were in the habit of housing two muddy wet dogs in the luggage compartment this could also be a contributory factor