Overview and Common Failures
The body of the car is weak and if not taken care of, it quickly deteriorates to the point of developing holes. The paint coating is thin and easily scratches, the headlights are made of soft plastic that quickly becomes cloudy, and even slightly deteriorated models have water leaking into the cabin.
The materials used in the interior are extremely low-budget, everything wears out and squeaks very quickly. All handles and levers cannot withstand rough handling and can come off at any moment. Poorly laid wiring is the main cause of malfunctions in the limited electrical system. In addition, the motors here are very weak, usually lasting only a year or two. However, domestic manufacturers have established production of decent quality replacements, which is one of those cases where the analogs are much better than the original.
The only officially installed engine, the 1.5-liter A15SMS, has a simple design and decent durability. The main problems are oil leaks and failures of auxiliary equipment. Fortunately, the spare parts are cheap and it can be repaired in a garage.
The D15 manual transmission is reliable, as long as you don't overlook leaks and a decrease in oil level, it lasts a long time. After 100,000 km, there is often play in the lever and shifting becomes less precise.
The suspension of this car usually requires intervention at around 50,000 km, with owners often replacing stabilizer struts and some bushings. Closer to 100,000 km, hub bearings, shock absorbers, or ball joints start to fail. The weak link in the steering system is the power steering, however, it is not present in all versions of the model. The rack itself may rattle, but it lasts a long time. The brakes are quite reliable and effective, the main thing is to keep an eye on the integrity of the hoses.
