MK6 GT TSI 160 purchase help, are ALL these engines lemons?

[badRobot]

Hello everyone,

I was hoping to get some advice regarding VW petrol engines, specifically the TSI range. We have always had 6 cylinder BMW cars but my wife's new jobs will pay her fuel costs if the engine is under 1.6L.. and she is due a new car. I always stated that I will never buy a 4 cylinder BMW as they are fought with timing chain, valve stem seal and piston ring issues, pretty poor on economy and low on power for such complicated tech they have, nah.

Buying a Diesel engine is something we won't consider.

So my thinking was, lets go for a MK6 VW Golf as VW are a reliable brand and the new award winning 1.4 TSI engines look great. There are a couple of low mileage 2010 and 2011 TSI GT models local to me that we went to see. Very nice trim on the GT cars and just as many toys as the BMWs.. the 1.4 TSI 160bhp engine was a little screamer too, I was impressed.

It was only until I looked into the reliability of the TSI engines by searching on forums that I realised there was a large failure rate. Stretched timing chains, damaged timing components, cracked pistons, direct injection failure creating bore wash, oil starvation to turbo and VW not willing to take responsibility...

Some folks are saying only TSI engines up to 2009 are affected, some say only the GT 160bhp are, some say all the TSI range is flawed. Clearly you only hear about the ones that have failed, what is the deal here? I read the 2010 onward have been revised with timing belt? Have they seen a revision?

Thanks

[Drive Blind]

badRobot said:

what is the deal here?

the 1.4 twin charged ones are potentially the major lemons.

[spiralp]

My 2007 TSI 170 has now done 227,000 miles. Properly maintained these engines can be fine. It is still quick or economical (but not both at the same time) and uses minimal oil between 9,000 mile services.

[va1o]

The older ones possibly seemed a bit more solid, it's the 2008 - 2011ish cars that seem most problematic from what I've experienced and read. The whole timing chain setup just seems flawed

The Mk7 switched back to timing belt when it launched in late 2012

[njtrundle]

I have a 2010 Scirocco TSI 160 now done 78000 miles, remapped with revo to 195 hp with no problems apart from new fuel injectors at 40000 miles. I think regular oil changes help protect the timing chain.

[the-photographer]

I would recommend either the 1.4 122PS or a later GTI (early ones have the pensioner problem)

[dontfollowme]

the-photographer said:

I would recommend either the 1.4 122PS or a later GTI (early ones have the pensioner problem)

Great typo/auto correct!