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SEAT Cordoba 1.2 12V Selection common faults.

2006–2009, saloon, petrol, 70 HP.

The fault list covers: BZG engine, MQ150 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

3 fault write-ups. 2 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

critical2

1.2 HTP (3 cylinder): the timing chain stretches

critical

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

  • Start it cold: the rattling noise is audible in the first seconds and no longer when warm
  • Pull the dipstick: a low level is a risk on its own on this engine
  • Ask whether the chain and the tensioner were replaced, and ask for the invoice
2 more steps in the write-up

Vacuum pump: cracking, and weakening ABS with it

critical

The vacuum pump of the Cordoba cracks, and the loss of vacuum degrades not only the brake servo but the operation of the ABS too. The symptom is a harder brake pedal and a longer stopping distance.

What to check

  • With the engine off press the pedal several times, then start it: the pedal should sink
  • While driving watch whether braking needs unusually high effort
  • Look at the pump body and the vacuum hose: cracks, oil traces
1 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair1

Windscreen wiper: binding mechanism, burnt out motor

cheap repair

The wiper stopping is a recurring complaint: either the joints of the wiper linkage seize, or the motor burns out. The two are connected: a stiff linkage loads the motor.

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In the rain it does not clear the screen, and it is a failure at the roadworthiness test.

What to check

  • Try every wiper speed, including the intermittent setting
  • Watch whether it runs evenly and does not stick at the end of its travel
  • Switch it off while driving: the arm has to return to its park position
1 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

SEAT Cordoba 1.2 12V Selection

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

BZG · 1.2

51 kW (69 HP) · petrol

MQ150 · 5-speed manual, small car

manual · 5 speed

Torque limit150 Nm
MakerVolkswagen

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
12V Selection
Body
saloon
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1198 cc
Power
51 kW (69 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2006–2009

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)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All II 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