StrikeEngine

Videos – Parts – Information – Directory – Insurance

Polo GTI 1.4 TSI Twincharged Factory Recall – Engine Piston Rings

EVO Magazine issue 162 highlighted a problem with the engine on early 1.4 twincharged VW Polo GTIs.

The VW Polo 1.4TSI GTI apparently has high oil consumption as standard with VW saying it is normal for the car to use 1 litre of oil every 1243miles or 2000km.

“a batch of early twin-charged 1.4 TSIs have suffered from faulty piston rings, with a small handful of cars needing new engines” is what Stephen Dobie wrote.

So if you have a Polo GTI it is worth keeping an eye on the oil level and possibly the coolant level at the Polo EVO had on test had also used around 600ml of engine coolant.

Find performance parts on ebay




This page was last modified Oct 10, 2019 @ 7:32 pm

StrikeEngine TV Highlights

24 thoughts on “Polo GTI 1.4 TSI Twincharged Factory Recall – Engine Piston Rings

  1. “A samll batch”….?

    What the hell? Try almost the entire first 18 months worth of production of this car. The only people not affected are those who were lucky, or don’t go over 2000rpm!

  2. Well my 01/2011 GTI, let’s say, is used to EAT (a similar verb doesn’t exhist) 1 liter every 1000 km or less: until now I drove for 12.000 km and put 12 liters…

    And VW in Italy seem to ignore such problem…

    And to some Italian owners replacing the engine did NOT solve the problem, making sometimes even WORST!

  3. In Italy is the same, more than 50% of Polo GTI are faulty!
    Someone changed the piston rings, someone the entire engine, but the problem is not always solved…
    All the 2010 and 2011 production seems to be faulty: we are expecting from VW a global recall or an unlimited free extention of the warranty for this problem…
    Overall we are expecting a demontration of demonstration of seriousness!

    Max

  4. This is the hottest page on StrikeEngine at the moment, we would love to get more feedback to try and understand how widespread the issue might be and also find out how well VW are dealing with any issues.

    Please leave your comment here

    1. Richard,
      Point is VW doesn’t want to admit the problem: VW Inspector after checking my car, put a sort of seal on the stick and cap, so I will not be able to add some oil if necessary! Furthermore they don’t know what say, simply ’cause they don’t even know how to solve the problem! I ask, thanks an attorney at law, what is possible to do now and he replied he will try to get back the money I spent for the car, since this malfunction exhist from begin of production! I’ll keep You update with the sad story!

    2. Richard,

      How widespeard is this issue? It’s hard to tell becaus ewithout any official figures, an accurate number cannot be deducted. Far from me to say that it afflicts approximately 50-80%% of cars becasue realistically, most users of online forums join up and get on them to copmlain, so of that 80% or so forum users, what is the true ratio of issues vs cars being delivered. I know that of a certain southern hemisphere continent getting approximately 35 cars per month on average and out of that number, approx 5 get delivered to forum members. Of those 5, generally 5 out of 5 will have oil consumption issues.

      As mentioned previously, there is a MASSIVE global problem with this engine, not only in Polo GTI but Seats, Skodas, Golfs, Tiguans, Passats etc. World engine of the year? yeah, maybe when it actually works. The one thing VW does best over anything else is refuse to admit guilt because their muppet quality engineers realistically have no idea what the hell they are doing. Why is this the case? Because the damn problem is so inconsistant it’s not funny!

    3. I have just purchased polo 1. 4 tsi gti 2011 can’t believe how much oil I put in this car
      Vw should sort this out now no car should use so much oil over short distances
      These cars are not fit for the perpose they were built for every other vw I have owned never used oil between service I have owned 3 previous vws

  5. My Nov ’10 car had high consumption from new. After a battle with VW the engine was replaced in May ’11. Consumption is now negligable.

  6. I’m having this problem with my GTI purchased in July. It has been to the garage for an oil test and went through it in 800 miles.

    The garage has logged this with VW who claim that my chassis number is not one of those affected. I was further told that while high, it isn’t terribly excessive consumption and will not harm other parts of the engine. Right…

  7. My 2011 Polo GTI’s problems started at around 1000 miles in from new. Didn’t think too much of it , bought oil and topped it up . Oil problems then continued . Took it in to VW , they topped the oil up and told me to come back in 600 miles to see how much had been used . Once back in after the 600 they admitted there was a problem as the level had dropped considerably again . They replaced the piston rings around 3 months ago and I thought the problem had been fixed . The problems have now started again , the engine used 500 ml of oil in around 4 days doing no more than 250 miles a week . Then used another 1.5 litres in a week and a half . Back into VW they’ve done yet more checks that the rings had been replaced properly but at the moment have admitted there’s a fault with my engine but until VW bring out a solution (which the chief mechanic suspects will be an improved engine) is to keep a customer account and let me top up oil when required . Still not a fix but at least I’m not out of pocket .

    Hopefully a resolve soon …..

  8. Another crazy experience come out yesterday from an Italian GTI’s owner.
    I’ll translate with Google the entire message below, sorry for possible translation errors…

    http://www.polovw.it/foro/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=12913&start=1872#p524047

    Re: GTI – Oil consumption

    Post by Blackarrow ’48 minutes ago
    After more than 1 year, now I think I can write some objective consideration.
    My GTI has always had an oil consumption of about 1 liter every 1200 km.
    After several checks, weighing, etc. .. is about 6000 km I replaced the engine.
    I was hoping to go well, but it did not happen. Currently, consumption and are almost identical at an altitude of 18,000 km.
    I’m sorry if you have a new engine or replaced, from what I read and from my own experience, there is no current solution and not even know what to do. Shameful!
    In part goes down, surely there are some engines that have an acceptable oil consumption or limit dell’accettabile. Then subrentrano driving conditions, I noticed that when using city and short distances, consumption remains high. With the new engine, after the first 1200 km (and a topping of 1kg!), I then traveled about 3800 km before needing to add another kg of oil. Kilometers traveled mostly on the motorway and long journeys.
    Then definitely the type of use influence consumption. Another strange thing already said, is that you can travel hundreds of miles without the level drops a lot, then suddenly ounces of oil are burned in just about anything.
    The fact is that we have a car that goes to the mixture and that the parent is not able to solve this malfunction.

    My heart breaks, because prestazionalmente the engine is a masterpiece, as well as the Dsg.

    Among all the gallons of oil made ​​at my expense, mileage and time lost to checks and inspections and the car stopped about 10 days (without replacement vehicle) there is something to be really disappointed and angry!
    Now starts the usual rigmarole of checking the consumption, then weighing, etc. .. but to what end? To change again the engine??

  9. Dear All,

    I leased a new polo gti in July 2011 and have basically had all the same problems as described here.
    It has had 2 oil consumption tests and on the first test VW declared it was in tolerence levels which i strongly contended, after the 2nd test (all with 1200 miles) VW advised oil consumption was in excess of their guidelines. They advised no fixture was available at present and could only supply free oil until fix was available. Maybe worth you guys fighting with VW for free oil as so expensive and why should we pay !! Anyway, my car consumes around a litre every 600-700 miles, produces blue smoke and now seems on occasions to be lacking power when pulling away. To cut a long story short my lease company is now taking back the vehicle free of charge and i have ordered a different car altogether. Such a shame. Good luck guys.

  10. Hi Guys !
    I get my new Polo GTI 6R in May 2011.
    First 10’000 no oil alert. Since 10’000 until 20’000 i get multiple oil alert and I had to add more than 10 liters of oil on the last 10’000.
    During many months I went to VW garage to ask them if they can fix this excessive oil consumption and finally they fix it by changing a pipe in the “reniflar”

    Since that, oil consumption was correct during 6’000km but last week I get a total engine failure. I call immediately the garage, they came and after diagnostics, engine need to be replaced….. I’m now waiting on my new engine…. I really don’t understand why VW are not communicating what happened !

  11. Hi Guys! got a polo GTI , LOVE THE CAR BUT GOT TO TAKE IT BACK AGAIN, KEEP PUTTING OIL IN, THIS IS NOT RIGHT ON CAR CAR TWO YEARS OLD, GOING TO FIGHT WITH VW SILL THEY GET IS RIGHT

  12. Same issue on oil consumption. Every 2 to 2.5k miles 1 litre of oil . Now I have radiator issues. Coolant light came on. Re filled coolant then today for no reason, all coolant drained out. Not very happy.

  13. Having problems with oil consumption but I never get a warning ‘oil can’ light, garage tells me there isn’t one just an alarm that rings and then an oil can illuminates but only for second, my car is 2013 reg, is this the same as others?

  14. Yep Had oil issues for 60k. Now the engine needs to be replaced at a cost of $9k + labour. No goodwill, just a kick in the backside. Never, ever again will a VW grace my driveway.

  15. I’ve had 2 of these, the first drank oil at an alarming rate, they changed all the piston rings for me after the oil weigh check. Then at a junction on accelerating I hear a loud sound like throwing a eight pack of bottled beer down a concrete stairwell. EPG and all sorts of lights came on and it dropped to a crawl…. it had thrown a piston! They rebuilt the entire engine under warranty… The phone dial alloys are like butter.

    It ran fine for a year. Traded it in for another one and that was ok, it was a little oil thirsty but not too bad. A year and a half later traded it in for the new 1.8.

    New one is fine but not as frugal as the 1.4, and I miss the supercharger sound, but it is faster. 🙂 Still pretty new, so don’t have anything to report about the oil yet.

  16. I also had this problem –
    Had my Polo GTI 1.4 2010 for only 3 months and used about 3 litres of oil! Absolutely ridiculous, VW tell me that’s it not within the batch for recall! And they have no idea what the problem is, keep sending me away, then “looking” at it again!
    Spoke to a garage that told me the truth “it’s an absolute awful car, get rid of it”
    So I’m now left in a sticky situation with a loan that I cannot cover with the amount I will get for the car!

    Also – a few more
    *windscreen will not demise, stays foggy
    *horrendous rattle/vibration coming from the dash
    *squeaky windows
    I will not miss this car.

  17. 2010 Polo GTI excellent condition, bought as import from Japan 1 year ago with 16000kms. Car has now done 26000 and performs well BUT uses approximately 1 litre of very expensive oil every 1200 kms also intermittently blasts heavy smoke/oil after idling or moving slowly in heavy traffic,enough to cover back of car in fine flecks of oil.
    Every now and then sounds like 3 or 4 tin cans stuck under car for short duration(ive checked and no tin cans under there,hahaha!)..I suspect suspect timing chain…
    VW require size 12 applied to rear..

Comments:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

1 + 11 =

Get our news in your inbox - Subscribe

* indicates required