1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs VR6: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the VR6 carries less risk than the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI: 50/100 (high risk) versus 84/100 (very high risk). The 1.2 and 1.4 TSI has 3 documented serious faults, the main one being «Timing chain stretch and tensioner failure (EA111)»; the VR6 has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «VR6 timing chain and tensioners».
The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated
Is the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI reliable?
It depends on the generation. The chain-driven 1.2 and 1.4 TSI EA111 engines (2006-2015) carry a recognised problem of chain stretch and tensioner failure, and the 1.4 twincharger engines from before 2012 can break pistons. The belt-driven EA211 engines (from 2012) are considerably more reliable: their typical fault is a leaking water pump.[1][2][3][4][5]
See the 5 of the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI faultsIs the VR6 reliable?
Its best-documented faults are the timing chain, with tensioners on the 12-valve versions and stretching on the 3.2 (R32, A3 8P, TT, Cayenne), and, to a lesser extent, the cooling system of the 12-valve versions. The 3.6 FSI comes out of the sources better than the 3.2.[6][7][8]
See the 2 of the VR6 faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 and 1.4 TSI | VR6 |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | — | — |
| Timing | Chain | Chain |
| Power | 85–185 hp | 140–300 hp |
| Production | since 2006[9][10][11][12][13] | 1991–2024[14][15][16] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 84Very high risk | 50High risk |
| Documented faults | 5 | 2 |
| Of high or critical severity | 3 | 1 |
| Worst severity | Critical severity | Critical severity |
| Main faults |
|
|
| Most expensive documented repair | up to €1,400Timing chain stretch and tensioner failure (EA111)Published figure[17][18] | No reliable data |
| Which versions to buy | ||
| BuyRecommended versions | None | |
| With cautionVersions to be cautious about |
| |
| AvoidVersions to avoid | None | |
Severity of each fault: green, low; amber, medium; red, high; dark red, critical. How we rate them
Cars that each one is fitted to
Other comparisons
With the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW B58
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M50 and M52
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW M54
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M60 and M62
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N13
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N20
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs V6 Delta 2.5 and 2.7 (Hyundai-Kia)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs MZR gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M111
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M112 / M113
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M264/M254
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M260
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M271
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M272/M273
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M270/M274
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M276
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4/1.6/1.8 Ecotec 16V (primera generación)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 THP
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 16v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 8v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Rover K-Series
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 12V
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
With the VR6
- VR6 vs 1.2 PureTech
- VR6 vs 1.0 PureTech
- VR6 vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- VR6 vs 1.2 TCe
- VR6 vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- VR6 vs 1.3 TCe
- VR6 vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- VR6 vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- VR6 vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- VR6 vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- VR6 vs BMW B38 / B37
- VR6 vs BMW B48 / B38
- VR6 vs BMW B58
- VR6 vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- VR6 vs M50 and M52
- VR6 vs BMW M54
- VR6 vs M60 and M62
- VR6 vs BMW N13
- VR6 vs BMW N20
- VR6 vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- VR6 vs BMW N43/N46
- VR6 vs BMW N52 / N53
- VR6 vs BMW N54/N55
- VR6 vs BMW N62 / N63
- VR6 vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- VR6 vs 1.4 T-Jet
- VR6 vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- VR6 vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- VR6 vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- VR6 vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- VR6 vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- VR6 vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- VR6 vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- VR6 vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- VR6 vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- VR6 vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- VR6 vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- VR6 vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- VR6 vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- VR6 vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- VR6 vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- VR6 vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- VR6 vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- VR6 vs Honda IMA híbrido
- VR6 vs 1.0 T-GDI
- VR6 vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- VR6 vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- VR6 vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- VR6 vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- VR6 vs V6 Delta 2.5 and 2.7 (Hyundai-Kia)
- VR6 vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- VR6 vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- VR6 vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- VR6 vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- VR6 vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- VR6 vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- VR6 vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- VR6 vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- VR6 vs MZR gasolina
- VR6 vs Skyactiv-G
- VR6 vs M111
- VR6 vs M112 / M113
- VR6 vs M264/M254
- VR6 vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- VR6 vs M260
- VR6 vs M271
- VR6 vs M272/M273
- VR6 vs M270/M274
- VR6 vs M276
- VR6 vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- VR6 vs MIVEC gasolina
- VR6 vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- VR6 vs 1.6 DIG-T
- VR6 vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- VR6 vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- VR6 vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- VR6 vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- VR6 vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- VR6 vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- VR6 vs 1.4 Turbo
- VR6 vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- VR6 vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- VR6 vs 1.4/1.6/1.8 Ecotec 16V (primera generación)
- VR6 vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- VR6 vs Porsche M96/M97
- VR6 vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- VR6 vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- VR6 vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- VR6 vs 1.6 THP
- VR6 vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- VR6 vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- VR6 vs 0.9 TCe
- VR6 vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- VR6 vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- VR6 vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- VR6 vs 1.8 TCe
- VR6 vs 1.2 16v
- VR6 vs 1.2 8v
- VR6 vs E-Tech Híbrido
- VR6 vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- VR6 vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- VR6 vs Rover K-Series
- VR6 vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- VR6 vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- VR6 vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- VR6 vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- VR6 vs 1.0 VVT-i
- VR6 vs 1.2 Turbo
- VR6 vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- VR6 vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- VR6 vs 1.5 Hybrid
- VR6 vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- VR6 vs 1.8 Hybrid
- VR6 vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- VR6 vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- VR6 vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- VR6 vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- VR6 vs Drive-E gasolina
- VR6 vs 1.0 MPI
- VR6 vs 1.2 12V
- VR6 vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- VR6 vs 1.8 T 20v
- VR6 vs 2.0 FSI
- VR6 vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- VR6 vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- VR6 vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- VR6 vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
Compare other engines
Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- VW 1.2 TSI & 1.4 TSI Steuerkette: VW kassiert Kulanz-VersprechenAUTO BILD · Motoring press · published 1 June 2018 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Probleme und Schwachstellen beim 1.2 TSI, 1.4 TSI (EA111)Gebrauchtwagenberater · Other source · published 1 September 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- VW EA211: Typische Probleme und HaltbarkeitGebrauchtwagenberater · Other source · published 26 August 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Volkswagen CAVD 1.4 Litre TSI Engine ProblemsGrant Walker (taller, Australia) · Other source · published 28 June 2018 · consulted 26 September 2026
- VW Golf 7: Probleme, Mängel & Schwachstellencarwiki.de · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- VW Golf III VR6 (1991-1998)AutoBild · Motoring press · published 1 September 2003 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- VW Golf IV (1J): Schwachstellen und KaufberatungGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Gebrauchtwagen-Kaufberater: Was kann der Porsche Cayenne 9PA?AutoScout24 · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Self-Study Programme 359: 1.4l TSI Engine with Dual-chargingVolkswagen AG (copia alojada en volkspage.net) · Manufacturer · published March 2006 · consulted 26 September 2026
- Volkswagen EA111 engine (1.2 TSI/TFSI)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- Volkswagen EA211 engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- Audi A1Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- International Driving Presentation of the new Polo BlueGTVolkswagen Newsroom · Manufacturer · published 2 July 2012 · consulted 26 September 2026
- VR6 engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- VR6-MotorWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- VW EA390Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Coste de cambiar la cadena de distribución: guía VW Audi TSISkanyx · Other source · published 25 June 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Problemas en la cadena de distribución: casos y costeGT Autos (Málaga) · Other source · published 22 December 2025 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- VW: Austritt von Motoröl möglichautoservicepraxis.de · Motoring press · published 16 August 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Bei älteren VW 1.2 TSi-Motoren: Gefahr einer Längung der Steuerkettefebi bilstein (blog técnico) · Technical documentation · published 28 January 2022 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- ADAC Pannenstatistik 2019 (anexo: defectos por encima de la media por modelo)ADAC e.V. · Reliability study · published 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Tous les problèmes sur Volkswagen Golf III (1991-1998)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Seat Leon I: Bekannte Probleme & RückrufeGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 9 April 2025 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- VW Bora (1J2): Typische Probleme & SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 14 July 2022 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- VW Golf 4: ProblemeCarWiki.de · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Audi TT: ProblemeCarWiki.de · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- VW Passat CC: Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Probleme mit dem Porsche Cayenne (9PA y 92A)CarWiki.de · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Tous les problèmes sur Volkswagen Passat (2004-2010)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Bulletin – Volkswagen 1.4 Piston FailureSouthside Cylinder Heads (taller, Australia) · Other source · published 6 December 2017 · consulted 26 September 2026