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Before you buy, next to the listing

What can go wrong on this used car?

Find out what is worth checking on the car before you buy. It can save you a serious repair bill. And if you find something, you have an argument on the price.

389 fault write-ups Free fault list

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Volkswagen Golf VIIBMW 3 Series E90Volkswagen Passat B8Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212Audi A5 8TOpel Insignia A

This list is no substitute for a workshop inspection. It tells you what to look at on the car and what to ask the seller.

389

fault write-ups

1999

engine codes

2438

official recalls

38 824

versions

Fault write-up

What you learn about one fault

You can take this to the viewing. It has the symptom, what to check, and the source.

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critical

1.2 HTP (3 cylinder): the timing chain stretches

What the fault is

The valvetrain of the three cylinder 1.2 runs on a chain instead of a belt. Both the chain and the tensioner are undersized for this engine. The chain starts stretching as early as 60,000 to 80,000 km, and the tensioner loses its pressure. The sign is a rattling noise audible for a few seconds on a cold start. The earliest BME has the weakest tensioner, and the BZG is structurally the same. If the chain jumps, the engine is badly damaged inside, and the repair is typically an engine rebuild. A low oil level speeds the wear up enormously: the tensioner is driven by oil pressure. That is why the oil level has to be checked every 1,000 km on this engine.

What to check on the car

  1. 1Start it cold: the rattling noise is audible in the first seconds and no longer when warm
  2. 2Pull the dipstick: a low level is a risk on its own on this engine
  3. 3Ask whether the chain and the tensioner were replaced, and ask for the invoice
  4. 4With a code reader look for a timing correlation fault (P0016 / P0011)
  5. 5Check the oil change frequency in the service book: a stretched interval is fatal here

How we know

Read the full write-up

Common models on the Hungarian market

One click from here to the fault list

The card opens the generation page. The faults are there.

All brands

How it works

Three steps to the viewing.

The list tells you what to check next to the car.

  1. 1

    You enter the model

    Make, model, generation. If you know which engine is in it, the list is sharper.

  2. 2

    The expensive faults come first

    The critical and expensive items come first. Each one has the write-up and the source.

  3. 3

    You take the list with you

    The faults become checks next to the car. You mark on your phone what you have looked at.

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Before you buy

What to ask the seller

Each one says at what mileage it shows up, how serious it is, and the source. That is what you ask the seller. You also see what is a bargaining point, and what is a reason to walk away.

VIN

What the VIN tells you, and what it does not

Find out from the VIN

Common questions

Before you buy, this is what people ask.

What is a known fault?+

On the same model, the same part failed for many owners, at roughly the same mileage. That does not mean the car you want is a bad one. It means you know in advance what to look at. This kind of repair is expensive.

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What is an engine code, and how do I know which one is in the car?+

The listing often gives only the size, for example “2.0 TDI”. Several engines were built at that size. They do not share the same weak point. The engine code tells them apart. It is in the registration document and on the engine. We list the engines on the generation page.

How is this different from a forum fault list?+

Every claim has the kind of source next to it: official, editorial or forum. If it does not come from a direct source, we mark that. If only a forum backs it, we mark that too. An unchecked claim does not go on the site.

Is a known fault the same as a recall?+

No. The manufacturer fixes a recall for free, at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN. The owner pays for a known fault. That is why the known fault comes first, and the recall is a separate list.

What can you learn from the VIN?+

The maker, the country and the year of manufacture. It does not reveal the exact engine. Every maker encodes that part differently, and it is not public.

Decode a VIN
What does it cost?+

The fault list, the model data and the basic checklist are free. A paid part comes later: the full checklist PDF, listing analysis, price history. You pay per use, not by subscription.

What if there is no fault write-up for my model yet?+

The engine, the transmission and the generation are still there. The write-up goes out after review. An empty list does not mean the model is fault-free.

Before the viewing

Type in the model and take the list with you

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