27th Feb 2009, 05:45

I bought my little 1.2 Seat Ibiza last May, after downgrading my car because it was too expensive to run (2.5 V6 Ford Cougar), and boy what a mistake that was.

So far in 9 months, I've had to replace passenger airbags, serviced twice, new clutch, new coils twice, two sets of spark plugs coz they burnt out, new ball joint and now the car won't start and the problem oil pump has given up the ghost, which is a major job, not to mention the squeaking that is now coming from the suspension.

All this merely months out of its 5 year warranty. Now don't you find that a little bit strange? Time to trade in before I'm bankrupt!!!

Please people beware, don't make the mistake I did thinking that it's now part of Volkswagen, coz the quality just isn't there!!!

21st May 2009, 03:34

Bought my 1.2 Ibiza about 3 years ago, and ever since then it's been a carnival ride of problems.

In the first month I had it the timing had slipped on the engine, luckily the car was in warranty.

I've had about 7 or 8 replacements for the front wishbones, the passenger window fell into the door, cost me €300 to fix.

Its new party trick seems to be engine problems, EPC light coming on, killing all power to the engine and refusing to move.

Engine management light used to come on if you drove it for more than 20 minutes, but we traced that back to a faulty exhaust sensor, and that cost me more money, buyer beware, these cars will break your heart.

3rd Jun 2009, 05:16

I bought my Seat Ibiza 1.2 reference 56 plate just under a year ago.

I have experienced problems with timing and engine slips. My engine management light has also come on. I have had it diagnosed twice at 2 different locations with 2 different diagnostic computers and they both come up with the same issue: Faulty lambda sensor (O2 management) and emissions control (cat convertor). I was quoted a repair job of £600 in the first year of ownership. Gutted. However hopefully sorting the cat will improve performance and environmental impact.

8th Jun 2009, 06:19

I have a 2002 Seat Ibiza 1.2S, which I bought in November 2008 after my girlfriend helpfully drove my Clio into a telegraph pole.

In seven months I have had the following problems:

One day after purchase the engine diagnostic light came on, which the dealer turned off with computer. Of course, it came back on the next day because the problem wasn't fixed. I returned to the dealer and this time they replaced an O2 sensor.

Shortly after this I noticed, while driving at night, the dashboard light blinking off for a split second then coming back on. It would do this regularly every couple of minutes.

Just after Xmas the engine light appeared again and another sensor was replaced.

It was around this time a creaking noise could be heard coming from the front of the car somewhere. I decided to leave it until the MOT was due in March.

In the meantime, the passenger seat mechanism broke so no-one could get in the back.

The car passed MOT with nothing being found with regard to the creaking noise.

A few weeks passed uneventfully before the engine light made yet another unwelcome appearance. As I needed the car to get to work that week, and it seemed to be running OK, I drove it for another two days before the coil pack failed.

As I write, the car is currently in the garage having the driver side electric window repaired, which packed up last week.

The dashboard still blinks, the creaking is still there (which I assume is something to do with the suspension judging by the other comments here), and the radio has a mind of its own - some days it works fine, others it doesn't want to know. The engine light is off for now but who knows for how long.

Anyway, it has cost me a fortune in repairs, I've had enough and will get rid ASAP.

If you own one of these cars, good luck to you, you're gonna need it!

20th Nov 2009, 05:43

Bought my 02 plate seat Ibiza 1.4 SE yesterday. On the way home from picking it up, the engine management light came on, the car doesn't idle right either, it misfires every so often.

Also when the ignition is on without the car running, the electrics have a mind of their own, every thing from flickering interior lights to weird growling noising coming from the glove box!!???

Straight on the phone to the garage that sold me the car, kicked off big time, threatened to give the car back, they're going to take a look at it tomorrow. Looking at the previous post, I hope this isn't the start of things to come. I know it isn't the fault of the people who sold me the car; looks like these cars have serious build quality issues, which is a shame as it drives superb. Anyhow, see how this goes, any more problems and it's going straight back.

Ste Bradford.

23rd Nov 2009, 12:32

Got an '02 reg Ibiza 1.2 S last month, and have been driving it since.

The rear washer needed repairing, the dashboard lighting flickers every so often, and the engine management light came on 4 days after buying it. It is at a mechanic right now being diagnosed, and the final problem, which could be linked to the engine light is that the cambelt seems to be slipping, but sounds fine once I spray WD40 on there, until the engine evaporates it and it's back until the engine warms up.

A shame really as it is a nice looking car and drives very nicely. I thought that they would be well made since they are owned by VW. Obviously not.

1st Feb 2010, 07:32

Just been looking through these comments as my 2002 Ibiza 1.2 S is due back in the garage again with a wishbone problem, and they brought back some rather painful memories of my ownership experience.

The car was bought in April 2005 and, as seems to be the norm on this site, the engine management light was on within a couple of weeks. Took it to the dealership, they turned the light off. It came back on again within 3 days, they rummaged under the bonnet for a while, gave it me back saying it was fixed and the thing wouldn't start. It went back again with the same problem a few weeks later and the lambada probe was replaced.

Since then we've had:

- Master cylinder failure

- Driver's side window regulator failure

- Passenger side window regulator failure

- Accelerator pedal replaced, as it kept sticking

- Rear washer hosing detached itself

- An electrical fault with the driver's side lights, which cannot be found (the RAC said it's a wiring issue, and good luck finding it!). All the indicator lights on the driver's side light up like normal lights and stay on, if you indicate right it kills power to the engine, the same if you brake while reversing. This hasn't happened for a couple of years... (touch wood!)

- If the headlamps are on and the wipers are on intermittent, the dashboard lights will flicker on and off infrequently

- When pulling left out of a junction, if a decent amount of lock has been applied to the steering wheel and you accelerate fairly hard, after changing into 2nd the power dies briefly before coming back on (like you've lifted off the accelerator pedal and then reapplied pressure). Again not done this for a couple of years...

- Headlamps/tail lamps mist up

- Anti rollbar snapped

- Wishbone and bushes replaced

- The heater has two settings now - ice cold and inferno

- Various creaks and rattles from poor fitting trim and shoddy labour during it's time in the SEAT dealerships.

I've also found the two dealerships I have used incredibly unhelpful and pretty rude on occasion. Even though I love the looks of this car, I couldn't possibly recommend that anyone buy one. The irony is, I bought it due to its relationship with the supposedly bulletproof Polo. I certainly won't be fooled again.