Overview and Common Failures
The body of an undamaged car in the first years of operation resists corrosion quite well. Then rust begins to spread, usually from the edge of the hood or doors. The paint coating is not very durable, chips appear quickly and immediately turn yellow. As for the interior, inexpensive finishing materials, assembly defects, and lack of sound insulation result in the owner having to live with numerous noises and rattles from the first kilometers. Another headache is electrical failures. Anything can break: central locking, air conditioning, stereo, power windows, and the entire dashboard.
The VAZ 11183 engine with a capacity of 1.6 liters is the weakest in the powertrain lineup. The 8-valve engine runs noisily, prone to vibrations, but does not bend valves with a belt failure. The VAZ 11194 engine with a capacity of 1.4 liters is slightly more powerful thanks to its 16-valve head. It was specifically created for the Kalina, but it has a bad reputation due to excessive oil consumption. The VAZ 21126 engine with a capacity of 1.6 liters is the newest, most powerful, and reliable in the lineup. It was installed in the Lux trim, so it is encountered much less frequently than desired.
The VAZ 1118 manual gearbox has many problems: vague shifting, rapid wear of synchronizers, sudden loss of reverse gear, and loud whining. On the latest cars from 2013, the VAZ 2181 manual gearbox with a cable drive is used. This transmission cannot be called perfect either, but it is much more pleasant to use.
There are not many problems with the suspension of the car; everything is done extremely simply and inexpensively. Closer to 50,000 km, hub bearings or shock absorbers may need to be replaced. After 100,000 km, attention should be paid to the control arm bushings and ball joints. If you change the original brake pads to something good, there will be no complaints about the brakes. The steering rack has a low lifespan; sometimes it starts knocking already at 50,000 km mileage. The recall campaign for defective power steering units hardly affected the universal model.
