{"canonVersion":{"checklist":1,"defects":2},"defectsRelease":{"format":3,"release":"2026.10.1","dossiers":15},"attribution":{"source":"Elgarde","url":"https://elgarde.com","license":"CC-BY-4.0","repository":"https://github.com/ElgardeCom/elgarde"},"disclaimer":"Elgarde is a self-service checklist, not a certified, mechanical or legal inspection and not professional advice. Defect entries are known weak points to check on a model — never a claim about any individual car.","defectsDisclaimer":"Each entry describes a known weak point of a model, engine or gearbox, based on published sources. It is not a statement about any individual car and not a diagnosis. An entry does not mean that a given car has the defect; the absence of an entry does not mean that a car is sound. Prevalence figures are estimates for the stated population and method, with their biases, and cannot be applied to a single car. The data is provided as is, without warranty (CC-BY-4.0, section 5); it is not a certified, mechanical or legal inspection. Naming a manufacturer or its product is not an assessment of that manufacturer; source links show where each fact comes from. To report an error, open an issue at github.com/ElgardeCom/elgarde or write to support@elgarde.com. We correct mistakes.","lang":"en","defect":{"id":"tsi.chain","aliases":[],"revision":1,"updatedAt":"2026-10-13","title":"VW group 1.2 / 1.4 TSI (EA111, timing chain): reported chain stretch and tensioner rattle on cold start","summary":"AUTO BILD reported in 2018 that Volkswagen had admitted that the timing chain of its EA111 1.2 and 1.4 TSI petrol engines can stretch and skip, that a supplier was said to have used stamping tools beyond their wear limit, and that a 2012 goodwill promise for older cars had been withdrawn. In April 2012 the trade press, citing AUTO BILD, reported a production error that can let these chains stretch and skip, and a widening of Volkswagen's goodwill to 50 to 100% of parts and labour. A parts maker describes the 1.2 TSI built before October 2011 (CBZA, CBZB, CBZC) as prone to chain elongation and a revised kit from 2011. No official recall was identified. The sources describe start-up noise differently, so a repeated or longer rattle is worth a check.","checklistPrompt":"Timing chain (1.2/1.4 TSI) — check for chain stretch and cold-start rattle","component":"engine.timing.chain","mechanism":"AUTO BILD (2018) reports that Volkswagen admitted the chain can stretch and skip, and that a supplier is said to have used stamping tools beyond their wear limit; a 2012 trade-press report, citing AUTO BILD, speaks of a production error. For 1.4 TSI engines a parts maker states that the series manufacturer reported quality problems with components (worn tools left burrs on the chain shells, causing premature chain wear) and that the manufacturer requires the newer camshaft adjusters (OE 03C 109 088 E); the parts maker also advises an engine control unit software update afterwards. For the 1.2 TSI the same maker describes a revised kit from 2011 with a wider chain, new guides, a larger tensioner and improved sprocket teeth. If a stretched chain skips teeth, valve timing is wrong; the sources describe uneven running, a possible warning light and, in the worst case, valves touching pistons with severe engine damage.","applicability":{"models":[{"id":"volkswagen.golf","label":"Volkswagen Golf"},{"id":"volkswagen.polo","label":"Volkswagen Polo"},{"id":"volkswagen.jetta","label":"Volkswagen Jetta"},{"id":"volkswagen.passat","label":"Volkswagen Passat"},{"id":"volkswagen.scirocco","label":"Volkswagen Scirocco"},{"id":"volkswagen.touran","label":"Volkswagen Touran"},{"id":"volkswagen.caddy","label":"Volkswagen Caddy"},{"id":"volkswagen.tiguan","label":"Volkswagen Tiguan"},{"id":"volkswagen.beetle","label":"Volkswagen Beetle"},{"id":"audi.a1","label":"Audi A1"},{"id":"audi.a3","label":"Audi A3"},{"id":"seat.ibiza","label":"SEAT Ibiza"},{"id":"seat.leon","label":"SEAT Leon"},{"id":"seat.altea","label":"SEAT Altea"},{"id":"seat.toledo","label":"SEAT Toledo"},{"id":"skoda.octavia","label":"Škoda Octavia"},{"id":"skoda.fabia","label":"Škoda Fabia"},{"id":"skoda.yeti","label":"Škoda Yeti"},{"id":"skoda.rapid","label":"Škoda Rapid"},{"id":"volkswagen.eos","label":"Volkswagen Eos"},{"id":"volkswagen.sharan","label":"Volkswagen Sharan"},{"id":"seat.alhambra","label":"SEAT Alhambra"},{"id":"skoda.roomster","label":"Škoda Roomster"},{"id":"skoda.superb","label":"Škoda Superb"}],"when":{"any":[{"all":[{"engine":{"ids":["vag.ea111_12tsi"]}},{"productionDate":{"to":"2011-09"}}]},{"engine":{"ids":["vag.ea111_14tsi"]}}]},"markets":["EU"],"hint":"Only EA111 petrol TSI engines: the 1.2 TSI (CBZA / CBZB / CBZC) built up to September 2011, and the 1.4 TSI with the codes listed in the notes. Other engines are outside this entry.","notes":"The 1.2 TSI window (before October 2011) comes from one parts maker; AUTO BILD gives no production years. The model list follows AUTO BILD's list of cars fitted with these engines, plus encyclopedia applications for the 1.2 TSI. The 1.4 TSI codes (BMY, BWK, CAVA, CAVD, CAXA, CDGA, CTHA) come from an engine catalogue and are not an official list, and no build window is available for them. Volkswagen goodwill terms changed over time (2012 widening, later withdrawal reported in 2018). No official recall or manufacturer bulletin could be opened: the French RappelConso V2 data holds none for timing chains, and the document 2040174/29 is known only through AUTO BILD. The parts maker attributes a rattle in the first seconds after start to the hydraulic tensioner rather than to chain elongation."},"engines":[{"id":"vag.ea111_12tsi","family":"EA111","codes":["CBZA","CBZB","CBZC"],"fuel":"petrol","displacementCc":1197,"powerKw":[63,66,77],"label":"1.2 TSI EA111 (CBZA / CBZB / CBZC)"},{"id":"vag.ea111_14tsi","family":"EA111","codes":["BMY","BWK","CAVA","CAVD","CAXA","CDGA","CTHA"],"fuel":"petrol","displacementCc":1390,"powerKw":[],"label":"1.4 TSI EA111 (BMY / BWK / CAVA / CAVD / CAXA / CDGA / CTHA)"}],"gearboxes":[],"severity":"critical","safety":false,"critical":false,"evidenceGrade":"well_documented","symptoms":[{"id":"s1","text":"Brief rattle from the engine after a cold start","stage":"early"},{"id":"s2","text":"A workshop tester shows chain-elongation values outside the normal range","stage":"early"},{"id":"s3","text":"Uneven running or engine warning light","stage":"late"},{"id":"s4","text":"Sudden engine damage if the chain skips teeth","stage":"late"}],"inspection":[{"id":"i1","method":"document","text":"Confirm the engine code (1.2 TSI CBZA / CBZB / CBZC, or a 1.4 TSI EA111 code) on the engine or from a dealer VIN query, and the build date; for the 1.2 TSI check whether it was built before October 2011.","redFlag":null,"tools":[]},{"id":"i2","method":"document","text":"Ask for invoices of any timing chain work and whether the revised parts were fitted (on the 1.4 TSI the newer camshaft adjusters and the software update), and whether goodwill was paid.","redFlag":"No record of chain work on a 1.2 TSI built before October 2011.","tools":[]},{"id":"i3","method":"listen","text":"Start the engine cold and listen to the first seconds. A parts maker attributes a rattle in the first five seconds after start to the hydraulic tensioner, heard more often on older, high-mileage engines, and not to chain elongation; AUTO BILD lists a brief rattle after a cold start as a warning sign.","redFlag":"Rattle longer than a few seconds, returning when warm, or with uneven running.","tools":[]},{"id":"i4","method":"obd","text":"Ask a workshop to read the chain-elongation values and the fault memory (AUTO BILD says testers show at least four such values, which Volkswagen reads only on complaint).","redFlag":"Chain-elongation values outside the normal range, or timing faults stored.","tools":[]}],"repair":{"remedy":"Replacement of the timing chain kit (chain, guides, tensioner, sprockets) with revised parts; on the 1.4 TSI a parts maker reports that the manufacturer requires the newer camshaft adjusters (OE 03C 109 088 E) and advises a control unit software update afterwards.","cost":{"currency":"EUR","low":1600,"high":1600,"basis":"One reported case in Germany: a second chain job on a Jetta 1.4 TSI at 78,000 km quoted at about 1,600 EUR (AUTO BILD, 2018); the same car's first chain job plus a camshaft adjuster had cost about 4,000 EUR in total. Not a range.","asOf":"2018-06","what":null,"evidence":["ev_ts_e01"]},"worstCase":null,"manufacturerProgramme":{"text":"No recall was identified. In April 2012 Volkswagen widened its goodwill on timing chains to 50 to 100% of parts and labour depending on mileage and history (kfz-betrieb, citing AUTO BILD). AUTO BILD reports that a 2012 promise of at least 50% for cars over six years old, for all EA111 TSI engines without a mileage limit, was later withdrawn, a Volkswagen spokesperson saying it applied only to cars already out of warranty at the time.","evidence":["ev_ts_e01","ev_ts_e02"]}},"evidence":["ev_ts_e01","ev_ts_e02","ev_ts_e03","ev_ts_e04","ev_ts_e05","ev_ts_e06"],"prevalence":["pv_ts_none","pv_ts_complaints"],"disclaimer":"Each entry describes a known weak point of a model, engine or gearbox, based on published sources. It is not a statement about any individual car and not a diagnosis. An entry does not mean that a given car has the defect; the absence of an entry does not mean that a car is sound. Prevalence figures are estimates for the stated population and method, with their biases, and cannot be applied to a single car. The data is provided as is, without warranty (CC-BY-4.0, section 5); it is not a certified, mechanical or legal inspection. Naming a manufacturer or its product is not an assessment of that manufacturer; source links show where each fact comes from. To report an error, open an issue at github.com/ElgardeCom/elgarde or write to support@elgarde.com. We correct mistakes."},"evidence":[{"id":"ev_ts_e01","type":"press","tier":2,"defects":["tsi.chain"],"supports":["existence","mechanism","applicability","manufacturer_acknowledgement","symptom","cost","prevalence","remedy"],"scope":null,"source":{"publisher":"AUTO BILD","title":"VW 1.2 TSI & 1.4 TSI Steuerkette: VW kassiert Kulanz-Versprechen","url":"https://www.autobild.de/artikel/vw-steuerketten-kulanz-2892135.html","identifier":null,"publishedDate":"2018-06-01","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13","language":"de","archive":{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20260903200352/https://www.autobild.de/artikel/vw-steuerketten-kulanz-2892135.html","capturedAt":"2026-09-03","sha256":null},"license":"proprietary","reuse":"cite","status":"archived"},"quote":null,"translation":null,"note":"AUTO BILD, 1 June 2018, on the EA111 1.2 and 1.4 TSI (Audi, SEAT, Skoda, VW). Reports that Volkswagen admitted the timing chain can stretch and skip, blaming a supplier that used stamping tools beyond their wear limit; Volkswagen's 2012 goodwill promise (at least 50% of parts and labour for cars over six years old, no mileage limit) was later withdrawn, a VW spokesperson saying it applied only to cars already out of warranty then. Names a workshop information (2040174/29) on possible wear-related chain length change and skipping. A Jetta 1.4 TSI: second chain job about 1,600 EUR at 78,000 km. The magazine's complaint column counted 435 new VW-group cases since early 2017. No production years are given.","confidence":"high","reviewedAt":"2026-10-13","reviewStatus":"source_verified"},{"id":"ev_ts_e02","type":"specialist_press","tier":2,"defects":["tsi.chain"],"supports":["manufacturer_acknowledgement","remedy","prevalence"],"scope":null,"source":{"publisher":"kfz-betrieb (Vogel Communications Group)","title":"VW: Kulanz bei Steuerketten-Problemen erweitert","url":"https://www.kfz-betrieb.vogel.de/vw-kulanz-bei-steuerketten-problemen-erweitert-a-362245/","identifier":null,"publishedDate":"2012-04-26","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13","language":"de","archive":{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261013103037/https://www.kfz-betrieb.vogel.de/vw-kulanz-bei-steuerketten-problemen-erweitert-a-362245/","capturedAt":"2026-10-13","sha256":null},"license":"proprietary","reuse":"cite","status":"archived"},"quote":null,"translation":null,"note":"Trade press (sp-x agency text, 26 April 2012), relaying AUTO BILD: Volkswagen widened its goodwill on timing chains of its turbocharged TSI petrol engines to 50 to 100% of parts and labour in all damage cases, depending on mileage and history (before: cars up to six years old). The article states that a production error can let the chains stretch and skip, causing engine damage; according to the manufacturer the number of damage cases is in the tenths-of-a-per-mille range. No engine codes or production years are named. Because it relays AUTO BILD, it is not counted as an independent source for existence or mechanism.","confidence":"medium","reviewedAt":"2026-10-13","reviewStatus":"source_verified"},{"id":"ev_ts_e03","type":"technical_analysis","tier":2,"defects":["tsi.chain"],"supports":["existence","mechanism","applicability","symptom","remedy"],"scope":{"engine":{"codes":["CBZA","CBZB","CBZC"]},"productionDate":{"to":"2011-09"}},"source":{"publisher":"febi bilstein (Ferdinand Bilstein GmbH + Co. KG)","title":"Bei älteren VW 1.2 TSi-Motoren: Gefahr einer Längung der Steuerkette","url":"https://blog.febi.com/bei-aelteren-vw-1-2-tsi-motoren-gefahr-einer-laengung-der-steuerkette/","identifier":null,"publishedDate":"2022-01-28","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13","language":"de","archive":{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261013103221/https://blog.febi.com/bei-aelteren-vw-1-2-tsi-motoren-gefahr-einer-laengung-der-steuerkette/","capturedAt":"2026-10-13","sha256":null},"license":"proprietary","reuse":"cite","status":"archived"},"quote":null,"translation":null,"note":"Parts maker's technical blog (28 January 2022): the 1.2 TSI codes CBZA, CBZB, CBZC built before October 2011 are prone to timing chain elongation, with a rattling noise from the engine compartment among the signs; in extreme cases the chain skips teeth (incorrect valve timing, uneven running, possible warning light, valves can touch pistons). A fully revised kit came in 2011 (wider chain, new guides, larger tensioner, improved sprocket teeth). A rattle in the first five seconds after start is attributed to the hydraulic tensioner, more often heard on older, high-mileage engines, not to the elongation itself. The publisher sells replacement kits.","confidence":"medium","reviewedAt":"2026-10-13","reviewStatus":"source_verified"},{"id":"ev_ts_e04","type":"technical_analysis","tier":2,"defects":["tsi.chain"],"supports":["existence","mechanism","remedy","applicability"],"scope":{"engine":{"ids":["vag.ea111_14tsi"]}},"source":{"publisher":"febi bilstein (Ferdinand Bilstein GmbH + Co. KG)","title":"febi PROTIPS 40672: Steuerkettensatz, Probleme mit der Steuerkette bei Fahrzeugen mit 1.4 TSI-Motor","url":"https://cdn.partsfinder.bilsteingroup.com/pf-document/PROTIPS40672_D.PDF","identifier":"febi 40672 (compare OE 03C 109 158 A S1)","publishedDate":"2019-03","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13","language":"de","archive":{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261013103413/https://cdn.partsfinder.bilsteingroup.com/pf-document/PROTIPS40672_D.PDF","capturedAt":"2026-10-13","sha256":null},"license":"proprietary","reuse":"cite","status":"archived"},"quote":null,"translation":null,"note":"One-page technical tip dated March 2019 for 1.4 TSI engines (fits Altea, Octavia, Golf Plus, Golf V, Passat and others): it states that the series manufacturer reported quality problems with components, and that worn tools left burrs on the chain shells, leading to premature chain wear. It says the manufacturer explicitly requires the newer camshaft adjusters (OE 03C 109 088 E), and the parts maker advises an engine control unit software update afterwards. No production years are given.","confidence":"medium","reviewedAt":"2026-10-13","reviewStatus":"source_verified"},{"id":"ev_ts_e05","type":"specialist_press","tier":3,"defects":["tsi.chain"],"supports":["applicability"],"scope":null,"source":{"publisher":"Wikipedia","title":"List of discontinued Volkswagen Group petrol engines (1.2 TSI/TFSI EA111)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_discontinued_Volkswagen_Group_petrol_engines","identifier":null,"publishedDate":null,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-13","language":"en","archive":{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261013103448/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_discontinued_Volkswagen_Group_petrol_engines","capturedAt":"2026-10-13","sha256":null},"license":"CC-BY-SA-4.0","reuse":"cite","status":"archived"},"quote":null,"translation":null,"note":"Encyclopedia list: the 1.2 TSI (EA111, 1,197 cc) has ID codes CBZA (63 kW), CBZC (66 kW), CBZB (77 kW) and a roller-chain camshaft drive; applications include Golf Mk6 (from 05/2010), Polo Mk5, Caddy, Ibiza, Leon, Altea, Toledo, Octavia, Yeti, Fabia, Rapid, Beetle and Audi A1. Used only for the engine codes and applications.","confidence":"medium","reviewedAt":"2026-10-13","reviewStatus":"source_verified"},{"id":"ev_ts_e06","type":"specialist_press","tier":3,"defects":["tsi.chain"],"supports":["applicability"],"scope":null,"source":{"publisher":"MyMotorList","title":"Engine Volkswagen CAXA (1.4 TSI, EA111)","url":"https://mymotorlist.com/engines/volkswagen/ea111/caxa/","identifier":null,"publishedDate":null,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-13","language":"en","archive":{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20260611102726/https://mymotorlist.com/engines/volkswagen/ea111/caxa/","capturedAt":"2026-06-11","sha256":null},"license":"proprietary","reuse":"cite","status":"archived"},"quote":null,"translation":null,"note":"Engine catalogue page: CAXA is a 1.4 TSI of 1,390 cc, 122 hp, chain-driven, and the page lists the EA111 TSI codes CBZA, CBZB, BMY, BWK, CAVA, CAVD, CAXA, CDGA and CTHA. Used only for the 1.4 TSI engine codes; not an authoritative manufacturer list.","confidence":"low","reviewedAt":"2026-10-13","reviewStatus":"source_verified"}],"prevalence":[{"id":"pv_ts_none","kind":"none","value":null,"unit":null,"numerator":null,"denominator":null,"ci":null,"population":null,"outcome":null,"baseline":null,"method":null,"evidence":[],"confidence":null,"caveats":[],"noReliableFigure":true,"reason":"No published figure gives the share of these engines with a stretched or skipped chain. In 2012 Volkswagen put damage cases in the tenths-of-a-per-mille range without naming a population, and AUTO BILD reported in 2018 that the 2012 count had long been exceeded; complaint counts from a magazine are not a rate."},{"id":"pv_ts_complaints","kind":"complaint_signal","value":435,"unit":"units","numerator":null,"denominator":null,"ci":null,"population":{"description":"Cases about timing chains of VW-group cars counted by AUTO BILD's reader-complaint column from early 2017 to the article of June 2018","applicability":{"engine":{"ids":["vag.ea111_12tsi","vag.ea111_14tsi"]}},"geography":"DE","period":{"from":"2017-01","to":"2018-06"},"ageYears":null},"outcome":"New cases reported to the magazine's complaint column","baseline":null,"method":null,"evidence":["ev_ts_e01"],"confidence":"D","caveats":["Self-selected reader reports to one magazine, not checked against vehicle records; it is not a failure rate.","The article does not say how many of the cases involved the EA111 1.2 and 1.4 TSI as opposed to other VW-group engines."],"noReliableFigure":false,"reason":null}],"attributions":[]}