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SEAT Altea 1.4 16V common faults.

2004–2009, MPV, petrol, 85 HP.

The list covers this version.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

2 fault write-ups. Both are important. No recall on the list.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

2 important faults

critical1

1.4 and 1.6 petrol: the plastic belt tensioner breaks

critical

In the 1.4 and 1.6 litre petrol engines the timing belt tensioner is plastic. If it breaks, the belt jumps and the engine is badly damaged inside.

Show the rest

The tensioner and the rollers have to be replaced along with the belt. But many cheap belt changes replace only the belt, and the next owner knows nothing about it for years.

Saying "the belt change was done" is not enough. The tensioner has to be on the invoice too.

What to check

  • Ask when the belt was changed: ask for the date and the mileage
  • Ask for the invoice, and check whether the tensioner and the rollers are on it
  • On a cold start listen to the belt side of the engine: rattling and squealing are suspect
1 more steps in the write-up

expensive1

Water in the footwell: through the bulkhead

expensive

A recurring complaint is that water gets into the cabin through the engine bay bulkhead, and collects in the footwell. Under the wet carpet the floorpan corrodes, and the cables of the control units run there too.

What to check

  • Lift the carpet in all four footwells and feel the underlay
  • Smell the cabin: a musty smell indicates water ingress
  • Look at the water drains under the windscreen: blockage, leaves
1 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

SEAT Altea 1.4 16V

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Engine and transmission

No engine and transmission for this yet. When they are in, you see them here.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
—
Body
MPV
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1390 cc
Power
63 kW (86 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2004–2009

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Engine oil and oil filter

    • LongLife30,000 km or 2 years(valid only with LongLife-approved oil)
    • 15,000 km or 1 year

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Coolant (antifreeze) change

    • first: 193,000 km or 10 years, then 97,000 km or 5 years(G13 / G12++: first change at 120,000 miles or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles or 5 years)
All I versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms