Overview and Common Failures
Body and Interior The car body is zinc-coated and does not rust quickly, but the paint coating is weak. Rust often occurs only on the edges or at the junction of the roof and windshield. The materials in the interior are quite cheap and do not have great resistance to wear. There are also regular glitches with the electrical system due to contact oxidation.
Engine Until 2010, the engines came with a large exhaust manifold and had no issues. After 2010, a small catalytic converter appeared, leading to cases of cylinder scoring. For very active drivers, the timing chain can stretch even before reaching 100,000 km. Bearing spin-offs can occur due to a weak oil pump in 2.0-liter engines.
Transmission The 5-speed manual transmission is not known for its reliability, but the 6-speed manual transmission is decent. 4-speed automatics have a good reputation and can reach 250-300 thousand km. The early version of the 6-speed automatic transmission has a number of teething problems.
Suspension The suspension in the car is quite reliable, and the spare parts for it are inexpensive and widely available. Only the stabilizer struts and hub bearings need to be replaced before reaching 100,000 km. The steering rack performs well, and tightening usually helps when there is knocking. In the braking system, the rear pipes often rust and the handbrake mechanism corrodes.
