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SEAT Ibiza 1.0 MPI Reference common faults.

2015–2017, estate, petrol, 75 HP.

The fault list covers: CHYB engine, MQ100 transmission.

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6 fault write-ups. 4 important. 4 recalls.

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

Before you buy

Known faults

4 important faults

critical1

The 1.0 MPI has a timing belt, not a chain. The factory interval is based on time: five years, and shorter on short urban trips. On a low mileage, ten year old car the mileage is not enough. This model is typically a city car, so the time runs out first. If the belt snaps, the engine is badly damaged.

What to check

  • Ask when the belt was changed: ask for the date, not the mileage
  • Work it out: have five years passed since the last change
  • Ask for the invoice; a service book stamp alone is not enough here
1 more steps in the write-up

expensive3

The bonnet of the 6J Ibiza starts rusting on the folded edge and the front transition lip, from roughly ten years of age. The rust is stronger where there is no underside protection and where the roads are salted in winter.

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The folded edge rusts from the inside out: by the time it shows on the paint, the metal is already weakened. And a bonnet that has been repainted but not repaired brings the same thing back within a few years.

What to check

  • Open the bonnet and go along the folded edge from the inside, all around
  • Run your finger along the transition of the front edge: blistering or roughness under the paint is suspect
  • Look along the surface from outside at an angle: waviness indicates repaired rust
2 more steps in the write-up

In the EA211 the water pump and the thermostat are one plastic module, and the pump is driven not by the timing belt but by a separate toothed belt behind the exhaust camshaft. There are usually two problems with it: the plastic housing warps or cracks (slow coolant loss, a sweet smell, rising temperature), or the drive belt ages (a chirping noise, then an engine left with no cooling). The housing is particularly sensitive if oil reaches it: for example from a leaking crankcase ventilation. The module has to be replaced whole: dismantling it warps it in itself.

What to check

  • Check the level in the expansion tank, and ask whether it needs topping up
  • After a cold start smell the engine bay: a sweet smell means coolant
  • Look for dried, whitish pink deposits on the exhaust side of the cylinder head
2 more steps in the write-up

The rear washer does not spray, because the feed hose has come off. The water then does not go onto the window but inside, into the boot.

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The water stands under the spare wheel well, the floorpan corrodes, and the connectors running in the boot can get soaked. If the rear washer does not work, check where the water went.

What to check

  • Switch the rear washer on: if it does not spray, check the feed hose
  • Lift out the boot floor and the spare wheel or tool tray: there should be no standing water, water stain or rust
  • Smell the boot: a musty smell stays even when the boot is dry
2 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair2

On the 1.0 MPI the reports mention starting problems as early as around 20,000 km: the car starts with difficulty, jerks, and runs badly. Behind it is typically a faulty ignition coil or the fuel system.

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It is a cheap part, but because of the nature of the fault it is easily confused with something more expensive: it is worth looking with a code reader before anybody proposes a bigger repair.

What to check

  • Cold start: watch how many revolutions it takes to catch
  • At idle watch for vibration and fluctuating revs
  • Query the misfire counters with a code reader
1 more steps in the write-up

On the 6J Ibiza the electric window motor develops a short, and the window starts moving down or up on its own, or does not move at all. This is more common on pre-2015 cars, and the door lock actuators fail as well.

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There are four mechanisms in four doors. If a window moves on its own, a locked car can be left open.

What to check

  • Try all four windows, one by one, from their own switch too
  • Run each of them from the driver's side as well: the central switch block can fail separately
  • Watch the speed and smoothness of the movement: hesitation or grinding points to the mechanism
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

SEAT Ibiza 1.0 MPI Reference

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

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

Official recall4 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

Most recent: 1 October 2018

A12/1757/18Safety recallInjuries1 October 2018 · EU Safety Gate

In the event of an impact the battery can get damaged, which leads to lack of power supply. If this occurs, it might not be possible to unlock the doors.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Distributor Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 01/10/2018

The authority's notice

A12/1206/17Safety recallInjuries7 August 2017 · EU Safety Gate

The tightening torque on the steering column bolt may be incorrect, which may result in a failure of the steering system and loss of control of the vehicle.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 07/08/2017

The authority's notice

A12/0962/17Safety recallFire29 June 2017 · EU Safety Gate

An air-conditioning pipe may rupture in the event of a frontal collision. If this happens, the inflammable gas may escape which could lead to a fire.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 29/06/2017

The authority's notice

A12/1193/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The driver airbags may not inflate fast enough in the event of activation. As a result, sufficient protection is not guaranteed in the event of an accident, increasing the risk of an injury.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Importer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

CHYB · 1.0

55 kW (75 HP) · petrol

MQ100 · 5-speed manual, small car

manual · 5 speed

Torque limit100 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
MPI Reference
Body
estate
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
999 cc
Power
55 kW (75 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2015–2017

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

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