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SEAT Ibiza 1.4 TDI 105hp FR Connect common faults.

2015–2017, estate, diesel, 105 HP.

The fault list covers: CUTA engine.

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6 fault write-ups. 5 important. 5 recalls.

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

Before you buy

Known faults

5 important faults

critical1

Rising oil level: interrupted particulate filter regeneration

critical

On short urban trips the particulate filter cannot burn through. The engine control unit then injects extra fuel late in the cycle to heat the filter, and part of that fuel passes down the cylinder wall into the sump. The oil level rises, the oil thins out, and it lubricates worse.

Show the rest

The maker addresses this itself. Audi's 2015 service bulletin (01-15-18) tells the technician how to read the oil level on 2.0 TDI engines, because an overfilled level triggers an oil change message with no engine warning light and no stored fault code.

An oil level above the maximum calls for an immediate oil change, and it points to short urban trips. A diesel driven only in town is a bigger risk from both the particulate filter and the turbo.

A thinned, rising oil level is one precondition of a runaway engine. A diesel controls torque with the quantity of fuel injected, and it has no throttle. So if enough combustible liquid reaches the intake, the engine starts running on its own oil, and cutting the injection or switching off the ignition will not stop it. The revs climb on their own until the engine destroys itself.

A raised oil level alone is rarely enough for this. The classic trigger is a failed turbo shaft seal that feeds oil mist into the intake. But the two go together: thinned oil lubricates worse, and poorer lubrication damages the turbo bearing first.

If it happens while driving, the key does not help. Only cutting off the air does: cover the intake, discharge a dry powder extinguisher into the intake tract, or on a manual select a high gear with the parking brake on and release the clutch quickly.

What to check

  • Pull the dipstick with a cold engine on level ground: the level must not be above the maximum mark
  • Smell the oil on the dipstick: a diesel smell means it is thinned with fuel
  • Ask whether the dash has ever shown an oil level sensor or oil change message
5 more steps in the write-up

expensive4

AdBlue / SCR: NOx sensor and crystallising dosing valve

expensive

On AdBlue (SCR) diesels the NOx sensor after the catalyst ages, and the tip of the dosing valve crystallises. An AdBlue warning appears on the dash, often with a countdown ("X km of starts remaining"), while the tank is full. Crystallisation typically forms with short trip, urban use, or from poor quality AdBlue; on a car standing below freezing the circuit can freeze up too.

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At the end of the countdown there is a start inhibit: the car can become undriveable until it is repaired. The fault is not always the SCR catalyst: the cause is the sensor or the dosing valve.

between 100,000 and 160,000 km

What to check

  • Check whether there is an AdBlue filler (next to the fuel cap or in the boot): if there is not, this car does not have the system
  • Read all the dash messages after switching the ignition on: there should be no AdBlue warning and no km countdown
  • Ask for a fault code read: the codes P20EE, P2202 and P229F belong here. A cleared code comes back after a few tens of kilometres
2 more steps in the write-up

Bonnet: rust on the folded edge and the front lip

expensive

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

Dual mass flywheel: diesel

expensive

The internal springs of the flywheel tire, and the two discs knock against each other. The signs are a rattling or knocking from the bellhousing at idle and when releasing the clutch pedal, and vibration through the floor. If the clutch slips without a burnt smell, that also points to the flywheel. It is worth replacing in time: a disintegrated flywheel can destroy the bellhousing too. At a clutch replacement the two go together anyway.

What to check

  • At idle, without touching the clutch pedal, listen for the rattle from the bellhousing, then press the pedal: if it stops, that is suspect
  • Watch for the characteristic clatter on starting and switching off
  • Put your foot on the floor at idle: a noticeable vibration indicates tired springs
2 more steps in the write-up

Rear washer hose: it comes off and fills the boot with water

expensive

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.

Show the rest

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 repair1

Electric window: a window that moves on its own or sticks

cheap repair

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 1.4 TDI 105hp FR Connect

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.

Official recall5 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

We could not check this: model year. 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

We could not check this: model year. 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

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/0588/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

Due to incorrect setting, the handbrake may have to travel further to ensure immobilisation. As a result, the vehicle could roll, possibly leading to an accident.

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: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. 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

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

CUTA · 1.4 TDI (CR) (DPF)

77 kW (105 HP) · diesel

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
FR Connect
Body
estate
Fuel
diesel
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1422 cc
Power
77 kW (105 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)

  • Fuel filter, diesel

    • 60,000 km or 2 years
All IV.5 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