- Engine / equipment
- 1.2 three-cylinder 6- and 12-valve (AWY, AZQ, BMD, BME, BXV, CGPA): Polo IV and V, Fox, Fabia I and II, Roomster, Ibiza and Córdoba
- Period mentioned
- 2001–2014
- Symptoms
- Chain noise, rough running, hesitation or intermittent over-fuelling; loss of compression from burnt exhaust valves; in severe cases the chain jumps and bends the valves.
- Possible cause described
- The timing chain and its hydraulic tensioner are short-lived: they sometimes stretch before 50,000 km and can jump a tooth when the car is parked in gear. Exhaust valves burn and carbon builds up on the valves; the throttle body and crankcase ventilation get dirty.
- Check for the garage
- Listen for the chain at start-up, measure compression, check the oil change history and whether the chain kit has already been replaced.
- Cost cited in the source
- Chain kit: approx. €450 (converted from pounds, 2006–2010); new cylinder head: about €2,750 (converted from pounds)A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.
Mileage cited in the database: up to 50,000 km. This is not a maintenance interval and does not predict a failure.