Arosa 1.4 16V

[macp]

Dear all

Im considering purchasing a Mk2 Arosa Sport with 100k under its wheels.It does have a good service record and the owner seems to have looked after it.However I have been reading about gearbox problems on the Lupo/Arosa and as the car has done so many miles I asked the owner about it.He told me it feels perfect but he very helpfully rang his mechanic who he tells me is a VW specialist.The mechanic said its only a problem on the 75bhp Polo but not the 100bhp version which has a stronger 1st and 5th gear.

Can anyone verify this ?

Edited by macp on Wednesday 24th February 21:13

[Dr G]

Bought a 102k Lupo 16v for a friend recently (same car) - it's had a big service and timing belt, an oil leak fixed and new friction bits for the brakes.

Gearbox is absolutely fine, seems like a very hardy little car.

[JB!]

watch the gearbox is IS the same box as the polo GTI.

[Dr G]

I'm aware the Polo GTI box has a reputation but what actually goes wrong with them?

[Muzzer]

My future BIL had one and the gearbox blew 3 times in 5 years. It had done less than 70k miles.

He isn't the most mechanically sympathetic driver I've ever met but it's a gearbox - they're fairly hard to break.

[JB!]

Dr G said:

I'm aware the Polo GTI box has a reputation but what actually goes wrong with them?

the diff is riveted rather than bolted together, and then decides it wants to become a 2-piece diff whilst rotating at speed. the crown-end sometimes takes some gearbox housing with it if your unlucky.

there is a fix kit, swaps the rivets for bolts. seems to cure it from what i understand.

[Dr G]

There you go then, what causes it to actually fail? Abuse or just crap luck? Bit of both?

[JB!]

Dr G said:

There you go then, what causes it to actually fail? Abuse or just crap luck? Bit of both?

wear.

i've heard of them lasting 60k, others go pop regularly if repaired badly. any specialist worth their salt will know about this fault and be able to get rid of the nasty rivet system.

also, abuse will shorten the lifespan, hence the polo GTI boxes going pop more than lupo/arosa sports, despite beign the same gearbox (also on the 5spd lupo GTI IIRC)

[fivesixseven8]

Sounds like "Arouse-r"

[ge0rge]

Think my polo 16v 100 brake had the same 'box, i think that let go at around 80k... £800 fix !