Overview and Common Failures
The body of the car here holds up well against corrosion, the first rust appears on the fifth door. The paint coating is not very resistant, however, chips on the body do not quickly turn yellow. The budget interior of this car does not please with either the materials of the finish or the sound insulation. Also, the front seats are completely uncomfortable and the windows do not roll down all the way. The electrical system in the cabin has become more reliable than in the old model, but failures sometimes occur. A plus of the car is its very wide availability and affordability of spare parts. The weakest 1.6-liter 8-valve engine VAZ 11186 was only installed in base versions. With timely maintenance, the only concerns are oil leaks or sensor failures. All Kalina engines were equipped with lightweight pistons and bent valves in case of belt failure. The 1.6-liter 16-valve engines with indexes VAZ 21126 and VAZ 21127 differ in the presence of an adjustable intake and DAD-DTV sensors instead of the usual DMRV in the senior version. They do not cause any particular problems for the owner, and if breakdowns occur, they are minor: the sensors fail, the thermostat sticks, and sometimes there is lubricant leakage from under the valve cover. The manual transmission VAZ 2181 with a cable control drive is much more pleasant than the old gearbox. Owners usually complain about lubricant leaks and a strong whine at certain speeds. The classic 4-speed Jatco JF414E automatic practically does not cause problems, which cannot be said about the new VAZ 2182 robot. The suspension of the Kalina is simple and quite reliable, it lasts a long time and does not bankrupt during repairs. Before 100,000 km, the stabilizer struts or rear hub bearings are often replaced. There are no complaints about the brakes, but the drive shaft joint wears out quickly in the steering control.
