Pre 2015 Engines : Are they really that bad?

[CS45]

38 minutes ago, Dogtanian1234 said:

 

The build quality is good as everything is screwed together well and the swtich gear is high quality and wont break. It's a pretty solid built car all round. The parts fitted must be of a decent quality cause I havent had to replace things like sensors, drop links, etc ever & we are talking about a 7 year old car that's used daily. The paint work is robust too, its a hard paint and not easily scratched.

 

Equipment wise may be a bit dated now but I have a USB port, Air Con, Rear Parking Sensors & Bluetooth to connect my mobile so its enough for me and really what else do you need maybe sat nav?

 

The ride can be a bit jittery over uneven roads, not too noticeable but its definitely better sitting on the motorway that's for sure. The space cant be beaten for what you pay in its class, boot is massive and passengers will be very comfortable. The seats are firm but very comfortable for going long distances.

 

MPG is really good & I manage an average of 55MPG on short and motorway driving. Parts are common so cheap to source and tyre size very common so not expensive either. If you get the right one I would say go for it.

Thanks very much for the insight, I’ve been gradually getting more and more out off the rapid the more I look at the forum, so this is reassuring. 
 

I’m starting to wonder whether I should let go of brand loyalty and instead get an Auris, as it seems the Rapid is hit and miss with a split of happy owners and unhappy ones. 
 

Thanks again

[Ootohere]

So now you have to check which of the Auris had issues.

I know 2 people that did have and rejected cars and i think that was about 2015 and maybe early cars out for Euro 5 emissions coming in.

[CS45]

12 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

So now you have to check which of the Auris had issues.

I know 2 people that did have and rejected cars and i think that was about 2015 and maybe early cars out for Euro 5 emissions coming in.

Really I’m surprised by that, thanks for making me aware. I’ll look into it. 
I would love an Avensis, the insurance is a bit more for me though. 
 

More digging for me to do by the looks of it.

[Robbydazzler]

4 hours ago, CS45 said:

Thanks very much for the insight, I’ve been gradually getting more and more out off the rapid the more I look at the forum, so this is reassuring. 
 

I’m starting to wonder whether I should let go of brand loyalty and instead get an Auris, as it seems the Rapid is hit and miss with a split of happy owners and unhappy ones. 
 

Thanks again

I have had 4 of them over 6 years  ( well 1 Rapid and 3 Toledos) and have never had one problem with any of them

them.

[CS45]

17 minutes ago, Robbydazzler said:

I have had 4 of them over 6 years  ( well 1 Rapid and 3 Toledos) and have never had one problem with any of them

them.

Thats good to hear. Does the build quality (In terms of rattles and squeaks etc) hold up to the test of time in your experience?

[camelspyyder]

1 hour ago, CS45 said:

Thats good to hear. Does the build quality (In terms of rattles and squeaks etc) hold up to the test of time in your experience?

The early ones ( dates already posted) rattled whistled leaked and had hatchback doors that didn't often fit properly. My 2014 had the endemic squeaky front suspension and a few minor rattles but was otherwise very good. The build quality of the my 2018 model is definitely better, just a shame they binned off the lovely petrol engines for the awful 1.0TSI.

[chrisgreen]

Likewise, my 2014 Rapid Spaceback also has the squeaky, clunky front suspension (but apart from the noises there’s nothing mechanically wrong, it’s just a quirk of how it’s put together).

 

Mine also suffered from the door seal fault. Due to a poorly Designed rubber door seal, the drainage holes on the doors - particularly the rear doors - would be blocked by the seal when the door was shut. This would cause the doors to fill with water.  This was fixed on early Models like mine by cutting a small V section out of the seal, and later seals had this mod pre-done.

[Robbydazzler]

15 hours ago, CS45 said:

Thats good to hear. Does the build quality (In terms of rattles and squeaks etc) hold up to the test of time in your experience?

The build quality has been good with all of them. They really are hidden gems. In early models there was a problem with water retention in the doors which was " cured" by butchering the door seals and later the fitted seals were modified. If you can get hold of a Toledo rather than a Rapid you will get more goodies for your money by the way.

[CS45]

14 hours ago, camelspyyder said:

The early ones ( dates already posted) rattled whistled leaked and had hatchback doors that didn't often fit properly. My 2014 had the endemic squeaky front suspension and a few minor rattles but was otherwise very good. The build quality of the my 2018 model is definitely better, just a shame they binned off the lovely petrol engines for the awful 1.0TSI.

 

1 hour ago, Robbydazzler said:

The build quality has been good with all of them. They really are hidden gems. In early models there was a problem with water retention in the doors which was " cured" by butchering the door seals and later the fitted seals were modified. If you can get hold of a Toledo rather than a Rapid you will get more goodies for your money by the way.

Thanks for your replies, that has reassured me to some extent. I was a bit put off by the number of posts on this forum about how poor the rapid is, but by the sounds of it as long as I go for a 2014 or newer I should be golden. 
 

Considering how much the Rapid will save me on insurance compared to my next choice, the Avensis, it might be the right choice for me. 

 

Thanks again

[WolfyWesty]

20 hours ago, chrisgreen said:

Likewise, my 2014 Rapid Spaceback also has the squeaky, clunky front suspension (but apart from the noises there’s nothing mechanically wrong, it’s just a quirk of how it’s put together).

 My 14 plate  also suffered that, then solved the problem itself as quickly as it came. 

 

6 hours ago, CS45 said:

Thanks for your replies, that has reassured me to some extent. I was a bit put off by the number of posts on this forum about how poor the rapid is, but by the sounds of it as long as I go for a 2014 or newer I should be golden. 

 

Mine did have a problem with the chain tensioner, but it was a simple enough fix by a local garage within a week of it being diagnosed (loud rattle when starting). My 1.2TSI done 55K miles and still runs without any issues. 

 

You could argue the inside finish is a bit on the cheap side in terms of look/feel, especially when compared to it's VAG counterparts, but it's by no means a deal breaker. 

Edited 23 November, 2020 by WolfyWesty
Spelling

[CS45]

1 hour ago, WolfyWesty said:

 My 14 plate  also suffered that, then solved the problem itself as quickly as it came. 

 

 

Mine did have a problem with the chain tensioner, but it was a simple enough fix by a local garage within a week of it being diagnosed (loud rattle when starting). My 1.2TSI done 55K miles and still runs without any issues. 

 

You could argue the inside finish is a bit on the cheap side in terms of look/feel, especially when compared to it's VAG counterparts, but it's by no means a deal breaker. 

Thanks for the reply, if you don’t mind me asking, roughly how much was the chain tensioner fix? 

[WolfyWesty]

On 23/11/2020 at 17:18, CS45 said:

Thanks for the reply, if you don’t mind me asking, roughly how much was the chain tensioner fix? 

 

Not at all. I'll need to dig out the paperwork so will drop you a personal message once I find it.