Hi Guys,

Just doing a little bit of research into the Fabia vRS before I purchase one. Basically I have a citreon saxo at the moment and not gonna lie it was a fairly good first car but I have now got very bored of it!!

After being in VW Golf 1.9TDI PD130 I had my heart set on that as the power was good! I did an insurance quote on that and was shocked to see it at 1500! So I looked at the vRS expecting it to be through the roof being a fairly sporty model and surprisingly it was £1200 which in my eyes it cheap! (I pay 1700 on the 1.1i saxo for the first year!!)

I have pretty much got my heart set on a vRS now and just want abit of back ground info on them, whether they are reliable, what common problems they have, what to look for when buying e.t.c and also what you think of the vRS. Would be much appreciated

Cheers

Chris

Hi Chris, welcome.

As you may find out as you search thro the forums there are alot of "help my car is broken" threads, that's possibly because many look on here for problems, so don't worry too much about reliability issues!

I went from a Yaris T-sport (and a 1.4mpi fabia) to a vRS fabia. power/drive wise its much more sensible than the silly t-sport, but by all means you still have alot of fun in it.

Reliability wise,

umm.. cam belt at every 60k or 4yrs - ~£300-400,

turbo apparently goes around 100-130k, £lots? (Eek) some goes earlier.

From what i've searched thus far these are the common big things to look out for, others is little things which can be resolved with some time and effort put in.

I've had my vRS for a good month or so now, starting to get used to the power hike and find it entertaining on some threads to read about the potential of a oil burner.. e.g. vRS vs corsa vxr's

Rattly flywheel at idle

leaky rear doors

boost leaks check for oily deposits on intercooler boost pipe joints

front console bushes, look for knocking over bumps etc

make sure correct oil has been used vag specific 505.01 grade or better and no longer than 10k between services!

Rattly flywheel at idle

leaky rear doors

boost leaks check for oily deposits on intercooler boost pipe joints

front console bushes, look for knocking over bumps etc

make sure correct oil has been used vag specific 505.01 grade or better and no longer than 10k between services!

Had my 04 plate for 2 years now, bought on 42k now at 64k.

Only faults I've had that don't come under wear and tear are a failed window regulator, leaky doors and, right now.. a bad connection somewhere in the alternator wiring that's not causing any problems as of yet but means my battery light is a bit flickery with ignition on, engine off.

I'm hoping to sort the bad connection my self.. and If I do I'll have sorted all 3 above issues my self with very little experience repairing cars and no mechanical experience at all..

The TDi PD units are completely dependable if ya look after them right, and the Fabia is well built, the only exception being the door design is a little pants and lets water in as the foam seal the factory uses dries out over time... but this is a DIY job with some sealant from homebase or the like.. and very straight forward and hidden away behind the door card once fixed.

When you go for a drive, a small amount of pull to the left is normal.. just be sure it drives straight on completely flat ground, or even (if completely safe to do so) pulls right on the wrong side of the road. It's just that the Fabia is very camber sensitive.

Edited 7 June, 201016 yr by Rob.

Cheers guys this has been a great help! Has any of you done the remap?

Cheers guys this has been a great help! Has any of you done the remap?

I've tried a couple of different vendors for remaps(now back to standard) and the results were quite different. My personal opinion is if you are after a remap don't rush into it, listen to people's opinions and speak to the remapper also. If you don't want to have to shell out for a new clutch and turbo then keep the remap conservative and don't floor it below 2000rpm.

The book bhp and torque is 130bhp and 229lb/ft but usually they produce a bit more than this. Mine was rolling roaded at 141bhp and 260lb and certainly feels quicker than my mates and she too noticed it.

I find also my vRS has occasional mood swings,some days there's a new rattle others its gone. Other than that and the usual cheap interior rattles it does drive quite well and gives me a return of anything from 52mpg to 60mpg on a motorway run dependent on speed and traffic

I do look after my vRS...oil changes every 3 months or 3k to keep it running nice and maintaining the turbo for as long as poss. I think the norm is 10k which i'm sure is fine too. As long as its had a good service history then i'm sure it will be very reliable.

Edited 8 June, 201016 yr by newskoda