Known Problems

-Chris-

Hi all,

I'm curious as to whether we'd be able to get together a comprehensive list of known issues with the various cars that are currently available on the market (new & second hand).

It's a common enough question, "I'm going to look at x car, what problems should I be looking for?".

I think this could be a great resource for the community and if it's in any way thorough it'd make a great sticky.

If anyone has any ideas how to format the information, that'd be appreciated too.


Please only post issues that you know are repeated, and let's keep anecdote & rants to a minimum please. This thread's for information rather than discussion.

-Chris-

<Reserved for information summary>

GTE

New and used?
Reread it and its there.
I could do one up about the Mark 4 Golf to put me off doing assignments
Im sure one of my posts about the 1.9 VE and PD TDI could be used also.


Great idea!

EDIT:

Format wise you could have something like.


Petrol - The good and the bad

Diesel - The good and the bad

Extras - The good and the bad (maybe some certain options could cause problems)

Common -The good and the bad

Plug

Ford focus:
The 1.4 and 1.6 after 2005 - 2008 build date are effected with power steering pipe issues. The pipe bursts and leaks.
Both of them engines gather water on top of the cylinder head and cause misfires.
Both problems fixed after the 2008 facelift models.

MK1 focus the thermostat housing can leak, other than that they are very good.
The coil packs also fail but this part has been modified.
Vehicle speed sensors also can fail.

Ford Transit:
2001 - 2006 2.4L Vaccum pump can leak oil
2006- 2.4L EGR valve always fail.

Ford Mondeo, S-Max, Galaxy and Focus:
2007 -1.8 diesel dual mass flywheel will fail eventually.

Stheno

Could you possibly format as follows?

Car make/Model:

Year:

Primary issues to check/be aware of:

Secondary issues to check/be aware of:

When I went to buy my alfa 156 a couple of years ago, I got information similiar to the above from a couple of forums and it was very helpful?

Owen

MINI
2001-2006 R50/52/53 Models (All hatchbacks and convertibles)
Power Steering Pump can fail
Power Steering Pump can send false signals through the CANBUS keeping the engine running after the key has been removed
Steering Rack can go kaput, diagnosed by turning steering wheel from full lock to full lock at a standstill and feeling for clunking in the wheel while doing it.
Early models had BC1 Body Control Unit moisture issues which affected locking/unlocking/ABS.
Weak wiring underneath front seats could cause airbag lights to illuminate - the official fix is to replace the connector with one that reinforces the cables at the connection.
Early models had seat frame failure causing reclining/rear access issues. Only cure was a replacement seat frame.

2006-Current R55/56/57/60 Cooper S
Engine is prone to 'cold start rattle', engines being turned on for the first time each day would rattle like a tractor until the car sufficiently warmed up. An official fix was eventually brought out by MINI, but there was no official recall - the fix involves a software upgrade, and timing gear replacement.

mle1324

Renault Megane

03-06 (maybe further more)

Problem: Suffer bad with there Window Regulator's going.

Copy and paste from a recent post of mine applicable to all Rover and MG 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 petrol cars.......

Most ZRs and ZSs are powered by 4 cylinder K series engines, which Lotus and Caterham used in their cars too. There are indeed loads of ones out there that have encountered head gasket failure. However most of these HG failures would be caused by overheating due to a loss of coolant from the rad, waterpump or inlet manifold gasket, not by random failure of the actual HG itself. The k series is a great little engine that heats up in no time, it's aluminium alloy and the coolant capacity of the system is relatively small so any leaks need addressing prompto. If you get one that is fine when you buy it and keep a weekly check on the coolant level you should be fine, it's when you cook the thing the problems occur. Also the K isn't at all known as a cambelt snapper and many of them are out there overdue a change, more often than not the water pump will start leaking well before the belt goes. I wouldn't put anyone off buying a ZR or a ZS due to a HG worry if they intended to have a peak at the coolant level regularly and give the car the prescribed water pump / timing belt change when needed. Also a headgasket job isn't that expensive anyway realistically. The 1.4s are also over 100bhp and are mad to rev so they are a great little yoke to go even in the ZS, a 1.6 Focus won't pull away from a 1.4 ZS on a straight at less than 100 miles per hour and won't be anywhere able to match it on a twisty road or track. A 1.4 Focus is about 3 seconds slower to 60. Most other manufacturers have yet to get over 100bhp from a nasp 1.4. The 1.6 K series is only 7 or 8 bhp more than the 1.4K but has a good lash of extra torque.

The bigger issue in my view with them is the R65 gearbox, the bearings in these are nylon caged and they do start getting whiney in loads of cars from 60K miles up, they can indeed fail eventually which is not cheap to get sorted. A recon'd box with a new clutch could cost €800 fitted, a good 2nd hand low mileage box is an option if your sure it's good. However 04 and 05 ZRs and ZSs use a Ford box and these don't give trouble. So if you are buying a pre 04 model have a good listen to the gearbox on the test drive, if it's quite enough you may well be fine, most of them don't fail but lots do. Depends on how they've been driven of course



Good idea for a thread, however I reckon many folks who don't have a clue will use it to appear in the know by putting up stuff they read on honest john :pac:

Hal1

Lots of info on various cars on honest john .

Owen

RoverJames wrote: »

Good idea for a thread, however I reckon many folks who don't have a clue will use it to appear in the know by putting up stuff they read on honest john :pac:

+1. That, and anecdotal Top Gear evidence.

Stheno

Alfa 156 1.6l Petrol 2001

Main points:

Check the timing belt has been replaced every 360000 miles, along with the variator.
Wishbones, steering rack and bushes need to be checked.
Full service history is a must, spark plugs need to be changed at 60,000 miles.
Check oil levels are ok.
Listen for tapping noises when driving, indicates possible problem with timing belt/variator.

Secondary:
Window and wiper motors are prone to failure check that both are working ok.
Check the bonnet catch, they are prone to failure.

Hal1

Well honest john is good for finding the bad points from various car makes. I wouldn't knock it entirely now.

Hal1

Hal1 wrote: »

Lots of info on various cars on honest john .

I hope that's a joke :pac:

Voodoomelon

E38 7 Series BMWs 95-01

Bad ABS units can cause ABS/DSC lights to illuminate. Problem is caused by cracked solder joints inside the unit and lights illuminate when the unit heats up.

Bad radio module located in the boot behind the CD changer causes audio to dip in and out, again caused by dry solder joints.

Probably over 90% of E38s out there have some pixels missing either from the MID display or the display under the tachometers. Caused by reduced pressure on the ribbon data cable feeding the display.

50mph "shimmy" when braking is caused by bad brake discs, or worn front end components including the lower control arms and bushings.

Bad oil seperator valve causes a rough idle from cold.

E38/E39 cooling components are fragile. Lots of the system is composed of plastic, so cracks in the expansion tank and the top of the radiator are common, causing leaks. Water pumps have plastic impellers that are prone to failure.

Air in the cooling system is prolific due to improper bleeding after a coolant service. This can lead to gurgling from the heater core and engine cooling issues.

Knocking in the suspension is typically caused by worn bushings.

Bad ignition switch can cause all kinds of electrical gremlins. If something unusual is happening (seats moving by themselves, lights coming on etc), open the passenger vanity mirror in the sun visor and observe the car interior for any bizarre behaviour.

Bonnet kidney grills fall out due to brittle plastic catches.

Rubber surrounding shadlowline trims perishes over time leaving square cracks all around the windows.

Cupholders break non stop.

In the V8 models, oil pump bolts unscrew themselves over time and fall into the pan.

mle1324

RoverJames wrote: »

Good idea for a thread, however I reckon many folks who don't have a clue will use it to appear in the know by putting up stuff they read on honest john :pac:

Agree with you there, I myself would be interested in reading honest feedback on newer small engine diesels and small petrol turbo's which seem to be becoming more common on the roads these days.

One problem I think we can all predict with this thread is people who have had one or two problems with there own cars and post it up and paint the car model with the same paint brush as it's happened to them.

Stheno

mle1324 wrote: »

One problem I think we can all predict with this thread is people who have had one or two problems with there own cars and post it up and paint the car model with the same paint brush as it's happened to them.

But you might get people like me who were aware of the problems listed on different forums and actually had them with cars, so both independant and personal experience of generic problems with cars?

Better possibly than a generic list of possible problems to have someone say "i looked into this car which had x,y,z problem and then had those problems?"

UpTheSlashers

Great idea for a thread.

From personal experience with a Bora the electric windows needed to be fixed after after about 80k miles. Our local mechanic says this is fairly common.

Could this thread be used by prospective to request info on cars they're interested in?

feelites

great thread
had some book there with all bad points pointed will post the name after

PASSAT B5

front suspension prone to wear
comfort module /central lock, windows, interior lights/ prone to dump

Hal1

RoverJames wrote: »

I hope that's a joke :pac:

Maybe it is? just posting links I've found, you decide if you want to use them or not. :cool:

x in the city

-Chris- wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm curious as to whether we'd be able to get together a comprehensive list of known issues with the various cars that are currently available on the market (new & second hand).

It's a common enough question, "I'm going to look at x car, what problems should I be looking for?".

I think this could be a great resource for the community and if it's in any way thorough it'd make a great sticky.

If anyone has any ideas how to format the information, that'd be appreciated too.


Please only post issues that you know are repeated, and let's keep anecdote & rants to a minimum please. This thread's for information rather than discussion.

mondeo Mk3

very solid car

common problems after 100k or so

HT leads
Wish bone rattle mounting things and/or suspension coils

thats about all if the car is serviced in any way

I have one two years or so now and see no reason to get a different car, it was like a tractor inside it when I got it but a nice valet all it needed.

the only problems I had were the HT leads and rear coils.

-Chris-

RoverJames wrote: »

Good idea for a thread, however I reckon many folks who don't have a clue will use it to appear in the know by putting up stuff they read on honest john :pac:

PaintDoctor wrote: »

+1. That, and anecdotal Top Gear evidence.

mle1324 wrote: »

One problem I think we can all predict with this thread is people who have had one or two problems with there own cars and post it up and paint the car model with the same paint brush as it's happened to them.

I'd be hoping that the "hivemind" will out the spoofers and people who have encountered an isolated problem.
I'm on the fence on Honest John etc. It's probably decent information, but it's not our information (if you know what I mean). I'd hope we could build a resource that's more than just copying-and-pasting from other websites. That being said, there's probably no need to reinvent the wheel either.

E39MSport

For what its worth: -

Landcruiser 120 series
CD & KD engines
There has been a problem with the seals at the base of the injector where the injector base seals to the cylinder head. The seal leaks and allows gases to seep from the cylinder bore, past the injector, which then due to the design gets circulated within the engine galleries and ports. These circulating gases then coke up the oil pick up in the sump which in turn overtime blocks the lubrication. It seems these problems can surface between 40 & 60kmls.

Landcruiser 100 Series
Pre June 2001 known issue with torque converter. Thrust washer breaks down over time. Can result in not disengaging gear when stopping, shuddering, cutting out. Dangerous.
VX with AHC (height control). Gas Spheres go at about 80k miles. Cost is c. 2k to replace spheres.

bladespin

Car make/Model: Alfa Romeo 156 JTdM

Year: 2005

Primary issues to check/be aware of:
Timing belt has to be done before 60k miles or 96k km.

Secondary issues to check/be aware of:
Suspension bushes wear out regularly (50k miles or so), simple enough for the home mechanic, cheap to fix in a garage.
Air hose can crack, you'll know when you see a lot of black smoke from the exhaust, simple replacement.
Rear window heater blows fuses, use a higher rated fuse.
Air bag connection under the seat can fault if you move the seat back too far, the plug basically seperates and the airbag error indicator comes on on the dash - ignition off, plug the connector back together and turn the ignition back on and it's fixed.

MetzgerMeister

Chris,

Great idea for a thread! I'd be willing to do up one for the RX-8.

An idea of a format would be an excel document with the car make/model as headings or something like that.

thirtythirty

I would recommend Used Car Expert's Fault Guide. It's pretty good.

For example, Audi A3 faults

Owen

Weighing in with my 2 cents, I think that there's no issue mining problems from owners club forums - they'd generally be fine in my book as you've a specific set of owners passionate about their vehicles, and the maintenance of them.

no1beemerfan

I don't know if this is really applicable anymore (and my local motor factors have now informed me I'm the only one getting parts for this car now! )

1997 Laguna 1.8 RT

Coil packs - hesitant running or car cuts out when you stop at a junction/lights etc when Revs drop.

Wheel bearings - can go sooner than Renault say. Humming noise from the wheel affected.

TDC Sensor - starting problems - engine turns and turns and turns but won't start. This is the biggest problem of Renaults of this era, meganes suffered too. Its 99% caused by the TDC sensor and is a cheap and easy fix.

Other than that and mabey earthing issues with the wiring (mines been perfect though!) these are pretty reliable cars.

no1beemerfan

1998 March 1.0.

Nothing. Nada. Zilsh. One boring car as I've had to do nothing to it in 11 years

Owen

1 Series (All years), e90 3 Series and derrivatives
ABS Control Unit failure is common. Up until recently a new unit at nearly 2k Euro was the solution, but you can now buy a kit to rebuild the existing unit that bolts on in about 40 minutes for 300 Euro or so. The kit isn't well known, so you may need to ask for it.

Turbulent Bill

-Chris- wrote: »

I'd be hoping that the "hivemind" will out the spoofers and people who have encountered an isolated problem.

Might be worth restricting the posts to people's personal experience with their cars, rather than pub talk or stuff they read somewhere. Known problems are just collections of the the most common 'isolated' problems, and the thread will show which are common.

kirving

Mk.1 Focus - Vechicle Speed Sensor

Causes Speedometer to drop to 0 intermittantly. It happenned to both my parents Focus's, and got worse over time. It costs >€50 and takes 5 mins to fix(just plug out the old one and plug the new one back in).

(I know I can't prove it as an endemic problem, but I thought I'd mention it since it happened to both of them.)

Also, door locks have a mind of thier own at times. (With both a factory fitted, and aftermarket alram)

Hal1

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Mk.1 Focus - Vechicle Speed Sensor

Causes Speedometer to drop to 0 intermittantly. It happenned to both my parents Focus's, and got worse over time. It costs >€50 and takes 5 mins to fix(just plug out the old one and plug the new one back in).

(I know I can't prove it as an endemic problem, but I thought I'd mention it since it happened to both of them.)

Also, door locks have a mind of thier own at times. (With both a factory fitted, and aftermarket alram)

The CHT (cylinder head temp) sensor cable can cause the same trouble. The remedy is to separate it from the HT leads.

El Guapo!

One problem I've seen a lot recently;

Mercedes E class/C class 2004-->

Symptoms: Very slightly rough idle but enough to put on the Engine Management Light with the fault code relating to system too lean.

Remedy: There's a small breather hose under the air filter housing that splits and draws in too much air. Its a handy enough fix and most dealers keep the hose in stock as its a very common issue. And its only a tenner too.

Plug

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Mk.1 Focus - Vechicle Speed Sensor

Causes Speedometer to drop to 0 intermittantly. It happenned to both my parents Focus's, and got worse over time. It costs >€50 and takes 5 mins to fix(just plug out the old one and plug the new one back in).

(I know I can't prove it as an endemic problem, but I thought I'd mention it since it happened to both of them.)

Also, door locks have a mind of thier own at times. (With both a factory fitted, and aftermarket alram)

I also replaced mine.

ilovejames

Opel corsa 1.0 Njoy 2003

Has gave me nothing but hassle :mad:
common faults with this car include:

mass air flow meter
crankshaft and camshaft sensors? crankshaft went twice in 3 months.
dashboard dials are faulty
radio has a mind of its own
passenger door lock gets stuck
steering wheel controls for radio don't work
new horn was fitted
seat lever snapped


im sure there's more....have to say though once the airflow meter and sensors got fixed hasnt been a bother on it.:p

Padraig Mor

All BMW V8 engines 2002 - 2005 (and perhaps to 2008)
Cars definitely included:
745i, 735i 2002 - 2005
645i 2004 - 2005
545i 2003 - 2005

likely included:
740i, 750i 2005 - 2008
650i 2005 - 2008
540i, 550i 2005 - 2009

Problem: Rubber O-ring sealing coolant transfer tube degrades, causing coolant loss (through "weep hole" at front of engine). Applicable to all standard BMW V8s 2002 - 2005, and likely their replacements to 2008/9 (engine design doesn't seem to have changed).

Solution: O ring costs little, but is buried deep in the engine, which (officially) requires complete removal and major disassembly. A BMW dealer will charge €7000+ for this. For 2002 - 2004 7 series cars, this is effectively now a write off. All German Auto in the US have developed their own replacement equipment which does not require engine removal, resulting in a significantly lower bill (although still likely €1/2000). BMW dealers will not do this procedure.

Symptoms: Coolant loss and overheating. Older cars (in Ireland, effectively 2002-2004 735i and 745i) with these symptoms should be very carefully considered before buying. If coolant loss problem is still in place after recent attempted remedial action (such as replacement of expansion chamber), be VERY careful as it is highly likely to be the O ring problem. Online anecdotes suggest that the part is essentially a wear and tear item and should be considered on a "when" rather than "if" it fails basis.

Plug

Padraig Mor wrote: »

All BMW V8 engines 2002 - 2005 (and perhaps to 2008)
Cars definitely included:
745i, 735i 2002 - 2005
645i 2004 - 2005
545i 2003 - 2005

likely included:
740i, 750i 2005 - 2008
650i 2005 - 2008
540i, 550i 2005 - 2009

Problem: Rubber O-ring sealing coolant transfer tube degrades, causing coolant loss (through "weep hole" at front of engine). Applicable to all standard BMW V8s 2002 - 2005, and likely their replacements to 2008/9 (engine design doesn't seem to have changed).

Solution: O ring costs little, but is buried deep in the engine, which (officially) requires complete removal and major disassembly. A BMW dealer will charge €7000+ for this. For 2002 - 2004 7 series cars, this is effectively now a write off. All German Auto in the US have developed their own replacement equipment which does not require engine removal, resulting in a significantly lower bill (although still likely €1/2000). BMW dealers will not do this procedure.

Symptoms: Coolant loss and overheating. Older cars (in Ireland, effectively 2002-2004 735i and 745i) with these symptoms should be very carefully considered before buying. If coolant loss problem is still in place after recent attempted remedial action (such as replacement of expansion chamber), be VERY careful as it is highly likely to be the O ring problem. Online anecdotes suggest that the part is essentially a wear and tear item and should be considered on a "when" rather than "if" it fails basis.

This is the procedure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoCED1jyfL4