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Volkswagen Polo 1.0 75hp Edition common faults.

2014–2017, hatchback, petrol, 75 HP.

The fault list covers: CHYB engine, MQ200 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

1.0 MPI: the timing belt is due by time, not by mileage

critical

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

MQ200 / MQ250 manual gearbox: differential bearing and synchros

expensive

The light, magnesium cased MQ200 and the MQ250, sized for higher torque, are the most widespread manual gearboxes in the transverse engine VAG models. Both have the same two weak points, and both depend on use.

Show the rest

The first is the differential bearing: as it wears you first get a droning, then a whine from the thrust bearings of the output shaft. Left alone, the planetary shaft can fail and in extreme cases punch through the gearbox casing: from then on it is not a repair but a replacement.

The second is the synchros: they can start crunching at around 50,000 km with aggressive driving. This type does not like dumping the clutch or slipping it, and on a used car that is exactly what you have to listen for.

above 50,000 km

What to check

  • On the test drive with the window down, listen to the gearbox both off and on the throttle: droning or whining is suspect
  • Shift up and down quickly, especially into 2nd and 3rd: crunching means synchro wear
  • Try engaging 1st and reverse when cold: resistance here means wear
2 more steps in the write-up

EA211 (1.0 to 1.5 TSI): water pump and thermostat module leak

expensive

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

Electric power steering failure

expensive

The electric assistance drops out: the steering suddenly goes heavy, typically while driving or when manoeuvring, and the power steering warning appears on the dash. Sometimes it is only intermittent, more often when cold. The fault is in the unit built into the steering column; the replacement is expensive relative to the value of a Polo. A refurbished unit can be fitted, but it needs coding.

What to check

  • Turn the wheel lock to lock with the engine off and then running: the assistance has to be even throughout
  • Watch the dash on startup: the power steering light must go out
  • Try it immediately after a cold start, when the fault is more common
2 more steps in the write-up

comfort1

Rear drum brake seizing

comfort

The wheel cylinder and the shoe mechanism of the rear drum brake rust up, and the brake drags or seizes completely. The symptoms are a rear wheel heating up, pulling, weakening braking, and insufficient brake force on one side at the roadworthiness test. On a car that is used little and stands a lot it rusts sooner.

What to check

  • After a short test drive, carefully feel the rear wheels: one side being hotter is suspect
  • Apply and release the handbrake several times: it must move without binding
  • Push the car by hand on the level: noticeable resistance indicates a seized brake
1 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair1

1.0 MPI: hesitant starting, ignition coil

cheap repair

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.

Show the rest

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

Checklist

Volkswagen Polo 1.0 75hp Edition

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 recall4 recallsShow

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

A12/00923/24Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The driver airbag's gas generator may be faulty, resulting in uncontrolled inflation and the release of metal fragments. This increases the risk of injuries to the occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

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

The authority's notice

A12/01809/23Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The propellant can deteriorate due to high humidity and temperature variations. In the event of an accident in which the front airbag is deployed, this could result in fragments from the inflator housing coming loose and injuring the vehicle’s occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

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

The authority's notice

A12/03004/23Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The propellant in the front passenger airbag can deteriorate due to high humidity and temperature variations. In the event of an accident in which the airbag deploys, this could result in fragments from the inflator casing coming loose and injuring the vehicle’s occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

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

The authority's notice

A12/1253/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The belt pulley of the cam gear could break and the screws on the camshaft adjuster may loosen. As a result, engine oil can leak onto the road, posing a risk to the following traffic.

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

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

CHYB · 1.0

55 kW (75 HP) · petrol

MQ200 · 5- or 6-speed manual

manual · 5–6 speed

Torque limit200 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
Edition
Body
hatchback
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
999 cc
Power
55 kW (75 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2014–2017

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
All V 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.
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