We just bought a Fabia as the missus' first car. Picking it up this Saturday (She's nervous), and driving it home in convoy with me in the Astra.

It's a W reg Classic 1.4mpi, FSH, 5 owners, 102k on the clocks. Looks tidy, the usual few scratches, but nothing more.

As the maintainer of this car, what do I need to be aware of? Weak points, known issues, oddities..as many as you can think of, I'd like to hear about them.

So far, I've found the fact it's a camchain engine (hurrah), however can't see any record of that being changed anywhere. If it's not noisy, I'm not worrying. Or should I?

The headlights have yellowed, but I'm used to that, my Astra has the same. I'm guessing that can be buffed out, like I have done on the Vx.

I can see 2 invoices for steering racks in the last 3 years..and 1 angle sensor. Now, I've read that the angle sensor can lead to problems with the PAS, as can the pump location on early ones...one rack replacement was done by a mobile guy, one in a garage..both bills are sub £300 - seems cheap for a rack?! I'm guessing that was more the angle sensor...

Apart from that, All I can see are invoices for consumables, 1 note about the rear washer pipe coming detached and a couple of replaced bushes.

Cheers!

Sounds pretty standard for the 1.4 mpi. It is indeed chain driven and unless it's getting noisy or you notice some other performance issues with the engine theres no real need to change it. Mine has done 125k now and never been changed and it's making no noticeable noise. The main thing to look out for on the MPI engine is signs of head gasket troubles! They are renowned for it due to being overtorqued in the factory and other manufacturing issues so look out for oil in the coolant and sludge under the oil filler cap. The engines themselves are pretty bulletproof. Engine temperature sensors are known to go faulty and it's always best to change them if there are any signs of it malfunctioning. It's pretty hard on front wheel bearings and bushes so expect to have them replaced at some point. The throttle body on the MPI tends to get a lot of oily deposits build up in it so it's good to get this off and give it a good clean every now and again. This is because a lot of the gases get returned straight back in to the throttle body which is a bad design but can be remedied with a catch can mod. The rear drum brakes tend to get full of salt and other crap which can make them stick when you first go to pull away in the morning, particularly if it was driven in the wet last, so it's good to give these a good clean when servicing time comes around. The steering rack and angle sensor is a common issue on the fabia, the power steering is a pain in the arse full stop to be honest but saying that i've never had any major issues with mine, just a couple of warning lights which have gone away after a restart. You will notice the headlights can flicker when turning the steering wheel which I believe is also down to the angle sensor but i've learnt to ignore it and it sounds like yours has had it replaced so should be fine.

The MPI isn't the most economical of engines mainly because it is so old but mine returns over 40mpg on a long careful run which I can live with. Around town it's a bit cumbersome, almost diesel like, but without the mpg return. I can certainly think of better cars for city runarounds but its not a bad all-rounder on the whole. You will probably notice that it feels a little rough on idle and the car judders a bit which is quite quirky, but this is normal for the MPI engine as the engine management has been set to run it close to stalling for emission reasons so nothing to worry about there! If the idle is severely rough it is likely to be because of the throttle body being full of crap. Other then that, frequent oil changes and good maintenance will mean this engine goes on forever short of a head gasket possibly. Mines never going to set my world alight but I'm fond of it for what it is, which is bloody slow but gets me where I want to be without fail.

Sounds pretty standard for the 1.4 mpi. It is indeed chain driven and unless it's getting noisy or you notice some other performance issues with the engine theres no real need to change it. Mine has done 125k now and never been changed and it's making no noticeable noise. The main thing to look out for on the MPI engine is signs of head gasket troubles! They are renowned for it due to being overtorqued in the factory and other manufacturing issues so look out for oil in the coolant and sludge under the oil filler cap. The engines themselves are pretty bulletproof. Engine temperature sensors are known to go faulty and it's always best to change them if there are any signs of it malfunctioning. It's pretty hard on front wheel bearings and bushes so expect to have them replaced at some point. The throttle body on the MPI tends to get a lot of oily deposits build up in it so it's good to get this off and give it a good clean every now and again. This is because a lot of the gases get returned straight back in to the throttle body which is a bad design but can be remedied with a catch can mod. The rear drum brakes tend to get full of salt and other crap which can make them stick when you first go to pull away in the morning, particularly if it was driven in the wet last, so it's good to give these a good clean when servicing time comes around. The steering rack and angle sensor is a common issue on the fabia, the power steering is a pain in the arse full stop to be honest but saying that i've never had any major issues with mine, just a couple of warning lights which have gone away after a restart. You will notice the headlights can flicker when turning the steering wheel which I believe is also down to the angle sensor but i've learnt to ignore it and it sounds like yours has had it replaced so should be fine.

The MPI isn't the most economical of engines mainly because it is so old but mine returns over 40mpg on a long careful run which I can live with. Around town it's a bit cumbersome, almost diesel like, but without the mpg return. I can certainly think of better cars for city runarounds but its not a bad all-rounder on the whole. You will probably notice that it feels a little rough on idle and the car judders a bit which is quite quirky, but this is normal for the MPI engine as the engine management has been set to run it close to stalling for emission reasons so nothing to worry about there! If the idle is severely rough it is likely to be because of the throttle body being full of crap. Other then that, frequent oil changes and good maintenance will mean this engine goes on forever short of a head gasket possibly. Mines never going to set my world alight but I'm fond of it for what it is, which is bloody slow but gets me where I want to be without fail.

sorry to be off topic here but you mention the engine juder at idle mine a 1.2 htp 54bhp model 56 reg and does have a bit of judder like its idleing to low would my answer be the same as you have written for the mpi engine as its allways done it and ive asked skoda when i had it servied and they said its normal ? veryy good detailed reply by the way also mines camchain aswell i think so good to see a cam chain with over 100k on the clock

sorry to be off topic here but you mention the engine juder at idle mine a 1.2 htp 54bhp model 56 reg and does have a bit of judder like its idleing to low would my answer be the same as you have written for the mpi engine as its allways done it and ive asked skoda when i had it servied and they said its normal ? veryy good detailed reply by the way also mines camchain aswell i think so good to see a cam chain with over 100k on the clock

I haven't heard of the same issues with the HTP engine. The MPI is an old Skoda lump from the Felicia whereas the HTP 1.2 is a VW engine which won't have any of the issues with emissions. If you are worried about it then possibly try getting the fuel filter changed if it hasn't been at the last service. This is good maintenance to be honest but a lot of garages fail to do it at services as even in the Haynes manual it isn't part of the service procedure. Also check the throttle body isn't clogged, even though the 1.2 shouldn't suffer with the same issues as the MPI it can still get deposits in there. Next time you take it in to garage ask them to check if the throttle body needs cleaning and get them to do a throttle body realignment which is a fairly simple process but requires VAG-COM. Like I said, if you aren't worried about it and Skoda say it's normal then take there word for it but those would be the first things I would try

After my post yesterday my car kindly reminded me of one more thing when I got in it after work. Fabia's, especially the MPIs are renowned for mysteriously losing coolant. VW seem to be good at making cooling systems that leak in one place or another, be it because of a head gasket on it's way out, a split hose, a crack in the radiator or a leaking plug/sensor, they seem to lose it somehow, so be prepared to have to top it up every now and again and keep an eye on it for any other potential problems!

My experience of the Fabia does not impress me. Electric PAS not good. Poor headlights that flicker when steering wheel is turned. Pools of water in foot wells. Numerous warning lights that show up for no apparent reason and dissapear after restarting the engine. Going round corners is akin to being in a bath tub on a high sea, Sometimes a delay with the 'Fly Drive' throttle peddle not communicating with the throttle valve. MPG around town is diabolical. Persistant fault code that tells me I have a problem with the MAF, can't be, I havent got one.

Would I buy another Fabia? the answer is definately no. Looking to buy a Toyota but SWMBO say's when we win the lottery.

Would I buy another Fabia? the answer is definately no.

I'm definitely with you on that!!

I'm trying to keep my Fabia running for as long as possible purely because I like to make the most of my money and don't want the hassle and depreciation of purchasing another car just yet. But due to the numerous manufacturing design faults I would not buy another Fabia, in fact my experience of the Fabia has lost my faith in the VAG company as a whole and I definitely won't be falling for their perception of "quality" or "reliability" again...

Up until now I've always had Vauxhall's and they've never missed a beat and not needed anything other than servicing, petrol, brake pads, tyres and bulbs, not sure how good the latest Vauxhalls are though, definitely won't be buying anything French or Italian though so there isn't much else out there, maybe Japanease or Korean?...

I'm definitely with you on that!!

I'm trying to keep my Fabia running for as long as possible purely because I like to make the most of my money and don't want the hassle and depreciation of purchasing another car just yet. But due to the numerous manufacturing design faults I would not buy another Fabia, in fact my experience of the Fabia has lost my faith in the VAG company as a whole and I definitely won't be falling for their perception of "quality" or "reliability" again...

Up until now I've always had Vauxhall's and they've never missed a beat and not needed anything other than servicing, petrol, brake pads, tyres and bulbs, not sure how good the latest Vauxhalls are though, definitely won't be buying anything French or Italian though so there isn't much else out there, maybe Japanease or Korean?...

Sorry you dislike Fabia so much, my son's '56 reg HTP 1.2 petrol has been faultless for 100,000 miles and the general feeling in the trade is that mark 1 & mark 2s are pretty darn good for reliability. Had my mark 2 for 2 years without breakdown and just a few minor niggles sorted under warranty. You must have been unlucky - want to give more details of your gripes, we're interested! What manufacturing and design faults do you mean?

Sorry you dislike Fabia so much, my son's '56 reg HTP 1.2 petrol has been faultless for 100,000 miles and the general feeling in the trade is that mark 1 & mark 2s are pretty darn good for reliability. Had my mark 2 for 2 years without breakdown and just a few minor niggles sorted under warranty. You must have been unlucky - want to give more details of your gripes, we're interested! What manufacturing and design faults do you mean?

I don't dislike the Fabia as such, I just wouldn't buy one again and my experience has put me off the VAG company. I chose my car, a 1.2 Mk1 Fabia estate as a boring, yet dependable, economical and spacious family vehicle. And as far as looks goes, it's lived up to my expectations, it is boring, not offensive and kind of fits the vehicle fine.

My car is garaged all the time and in the time that I have owned it other than consumables I have suffered from the infamous leaking doors (design fault), condensation taking ages to clear on windscreen (inadequate demister/design fault), starter motor wire failure (design fault/cheap wiring), load signal wire failure (design fault/cheap wiring), annoying steering to the left (never had any previous cars do this, so cannot be road camber, must be design fault), rattling cam chain (perhaps age, but it has been happening from since I took ownership at 10k), rust bubbles appearing on the boot (cheap paint/inadequate corrosion protection), paint crazing/flaking off the rear bumper (cheap paint), not all interior lighting the same brightness (attention to detail/design fault/me being a bit of a perfectionist), bushes (design fault/cheap components), interior rattling (design fault/cheap materials), sticking boot light switch so boot light does not switch on (design fault). Also reading on here other people have had many other common issues and although you usually only hear about the bad on these forums, far too many people are reporting the same faults, which means it's not down to maintenance or owner abuse, it's down to manufacturing defects.

OK nothing really expensive here you might say, but that's not the point, there have been a lot of inconveniences, let downs and annoyances and that's just what I remember off the top of my head. I feel that most of the issues could have been resolved through more thorough testing and updating manufacture processes year on year throughout facelifted models etc using information obtained from dealership feedback, yet the same niggles seem to have continued throughout the entire production life of the MK1 Fabia. If the VAG company takes this sort of view with one car, then I can't expect them to be any better with any of their other vehicles and I find this unacceptable from a group that seems to like to refer to itself as among the leaders.

Maybe I've just been lucky in the past, but none of my previous vehicles have let me down at all, with regular servicing they haven't missed a beat, the Fabia being one of the most expensive, one of the newest and being part of a group of allegedly one of the more prestigious manufacturers has let me down the most, yet I had far higher hopes and expectations for it. Also my mates that have other VAG cars, Golfs, Passats, TT's etc have remarked how unreliable their cars are with numerous faults that you shouldn't expect such as faulty ECU, Haldex etc etc...

Edited 23 January, 201214 yr by SkodaFabiaOwner

All you say is so right.

To Quote "Also reading on here other people have had many other common issues and although you usually only here about the bad on these forums, far too many people are reporting the same faults, which means it's not down to maintenance or owner abuse, it's down to manufacturing defects".

I have read elsewhere on Briskskoda that Skoda have paid out many many thousands of Euros getting someone to design a new badge for the Citicar due out later this year.

A great pity they dont pay out for correcting the numerous design faults on their vehicles.

By way of passing, I tend to leave my Fabia unlocked in the hope someone will offload it for me.

The same can be said for any brand though. You only need to get one of the lemons that are out there and it will put you off for life.

I bought a 3.0 v6 tdi vectra fairly recently for motorway and commute. Had nothing but trouble. Electrical faults, ecu problems, immobiliser problems... all electrical but the list was endless. Put me off vauxhall for life.

Just the way it goes when you are unlucky enough to buy a bit of a lemon.

Sounds pretty standard for the 1.4 mpi. It is indeed chain driven and unless it's getting noisy or you notice some other performance issues with the engine theres no real need to change it. Mine has done 125k now and never been changed and it's making no noticeable noise. The main thing to look out for on the MPI engine is signs of head gasket troubles! They are renowned for it due to being overtorqued in the factory and other manufacturing issues so look out for oil in the coolant and sludge under the oil filler cap. The engines themselves are pretty bulletproof. Engine temperature sensors are known to go faulty and it's always best to change them if there are any signs of it malfunctioning. It's pretty hard on front wheel bearings and bushes so expect to have them replaced at some point. The throttle body on the MPI tends to get a lot of oily deposits build up in it so it's good to get this off and give it a good clean every now and again. This is because a lot of the gases get returned straight back in to the throttle body which is a bad design but can be remedied with a catch can mod. The rear drum brakes tend to get full of salt and other crap which can make them stick when you first go to pull away in the morning, particularly if it was driven in the wet last, so it's good to give these a good clean when servicing time comes around. The steering rack and angle sensor is a common issue on the fabia, the power steering is a pain in the arse full stop to be honest but saying that i've never had any major issues with mine, just a couple of warning lights which have gone away after a restart. You will notice the headlights can flicker when turning the steering wheel which I believe is also down to the angle sensor but i've learnt to ignore it and it sounds like yours has had it replaced so should be fine.

The MPI isn't the most economical of engines mainly because it is so old but mine returns over 40mpg on a long careful run which I can live with. Around town it's a bit cumbersome, almost diesel like, but without the mpg return. I can certainly think of better cars for city runarounds but its not a bad all-rounder on the whole. You will probably notice that it feels a little rough on idle and the car judders a bit which is quite quirky, but this is normal for the MPI engine as the engine management has been set to run it close to stalling for emission reasons so nothing to worry about there! If the idle is severely rough it is likely to be because of the throttle body being full of crap. Other then that, frequent oil changes and good maintenance will mean this engine goes on forever short of a head gasket possibly. Mines never going to set my world alight but I'm fond of it for what it is, which is bloody slow but gets me where I want to be without fail.

Ha! 99% of those issues sound like the common ones on the Astra-G anyway..and yes, venting breathers into the throttle body drives me nuts. My Z16SE 8v MPI has this, and I'm quite used to blasting the TB out with carb cleaner or removing it to blow it through with a compressor.

Brakes sound about the same, wear on the front is familiar..and the ehPAS on the Vx does the light dimming thing..but having seen how much power the pump pulls, I'm not surprised.

As to the lumpiness at idle, that's a relief. I was sat in it, and I could feel something akin to a misfire randomly at idle..slight vibration through the seat, that went away on throttle. I figured probably sparkplug related. Emissions etc are bang on, according to the MOT..for a machine with 102k on the clocks, the CO/HC are showing as 0...not sure if that's quite correct..no smoke though.

I will never drive this car, as it's a manual..but it seems to shift along nicely... Surprised the missus a bit..and me, come to that. 65 up a rather steep long incline..took me a bit to catch up!

I've got a VAG-COM on order, and a VAG-Tacho clone. It'll keep my OPCOM company in the toolbox. Need to get a spare key sorted, look at a couple of tyres for the future, but very little else to do! Tidy little motor. Reminds me quite a lot of the Golf 1.6DSG I had for a short while as a rental...way bigger inside than it seems outside. Can't complain for £1245. Now to get a rearfacing child seat for it..!

I know a lot of people have issues with Vauxhall, some love them, some hate them. Mine takes a daily beating, gets very little care (no time with a toddler!), and just keeps going. The only real issue I had with it was a blown engine ECU, and bridging the fuel pump relay with a paper clip got me home then. Minor "Issues" I can deal with. As long as they do the job we need them to do, I'm happy enough.

Edited 24 January, 201214 yr by Sirbendy