Car Model Guide/ Volkswagen/ Golf/ Mk5/ 1.4 TSI

1.4 TSI CAXA

Turbocharged 1.4 from the EA111 family. Willing and economical on paper, with a timing chain and tensioner that are the known weak point.

Overview

The 1.4 TSI is the CAXA petrol version of the Volkswagen Golf hatchback (Mk5), sold 2007–2009 with 122 PS and manual or automatic. High risk at level 4. The chain and tensioner can skip and bend valves, and many of these cars are paired with the dry-clutch DSG. 13 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, 2 of which are walk-away items without documented proof. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.

Power122 PS

Torque200 Nm

Years2007–2009

Fuelpetrol

DriveFWD

EnginesCAXA

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 13 recorded in total.

17High risk

Timing chain tensioner failure€900–€1,800checkablewalk away
Timing chain and tensioner wear (1.4 TSI)€700–€1,600checkablewalk away
Dry-clutch DSG mechatronic failure€1,200–€2,800checkable

Risk level −33 · Walk-away failures −24 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 2 with no recurring fault reported

Engine⚠ attentionTiming chain tensioner failure, €900–€1,800. Walk away without proof.+1 more in this system

Fuel system✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Intake & airwatchCarbon buildup on intake valves, €400–€700.

CoolingwatchCoolant expansion tank cracking, €120–€250.

Emissions✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Transmission⚠ attentionDry-clutch DSG mechatronic failure, €1,200–€2,800.+1 more in this system

ElectricswatchFootwell module (FRM) failure, €150–€700.+2 more in this system

Suspension & brakeswatchFront control arm bushing wear, €300–€700.+2 more in this system

Body & interiorwatchCorrosion at the rear subframe and arch seams, €300–€2,000.

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Faults recorded against this engine, its components and its chassis, ranked by likelihood × repair cost. Costs are indicative ranges with a stated labour basis.

Timing chain tensioner failureea888-chain-tensioner€900–€1,800

Rattle for a second or two on cold start, chain noise from the back of the engine, timing correlation faults, or no start after the car has stood. The early hydraulic tensioner can lose tension and allow the chain to jump. The chain is at the gearbox end of the engine, so access is poor and a failure usually bends valves.

Check: Insist on a stone-cold start and stand at the bulkhead end of the engine. Any rattle beyond the first half-second is this until proven otherwise. Ask for a tensioner receipt with the part number. The revised part is the fix, not the mileage.

Later parts: Revised tensioner part number; fitted from later production

EnginecommonDetectable at viewingwalk away without proofevidence: documented60–180k km

Timing chain and tensioner wear (1.4 TSI)CAXA 1.4 TSI€700–€1,600

Rattle on start-up, chain noise that grows, timing correlation codes, and in the worst case a jumped chain and bent valves. The EA111 1.4 TSI uses a short chain with a tensioner that can lose tension and allow the chain to skip. VW revised the tensioner.

Check: Cold start and listen at the timing end. Any rattle beyond the first moment is this. Ask for a tensioner receipt with the revised part number.

Later parts: Revised tensioner part number on later production

EnginecommonDetectable at viewingwalk away without proofevidence: documented60–150k km

Dry-clutch DSG mechatronic failureDQ200-7DSG€1,200–€2,800

Juddering at low speed, harsh or refused engagement, warning lights, or a car that won't select a gear. The seven-speed dry-clutch unit's mechatronic and clutch packs wear, and the clutches are far less tolerant of stop-start use than the wet-clutch six-speed.

Check: Drive from cold in traffic. Judder pulling away, hesitation between first and second, or a jolt on the overrun are all this. Ask for the service history. These need fluid and clutch adaptation work.

TransmissioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented80–180k km

Carbon buildup on intake valvesdirect injection€400–€700

Rough cold idle, slow throttle response, misfires, gradual loss of low-end response. Direct injection puts no fuel over the intake valves, so crankcase vapour deposits bake on undisturbed.

Check: Not visible without a borescope. Treat it as a service item that's due unless there's a receipt. It's not a fault, it's an unbudgeted maintenance cost.

Turbo & intakeuniversalNot detectable at viewingevidence: documented80–120k km

Front control arm bushing wearE9x chassis€300–€700

Knocking over bad surfaces, vague or wandering steering, uneven front tyre wear, steering shimmy under braking. The front lower arm bushings are a known wear item on this chassis and go well before the ball joints.

Check: Drive over a rough road at low speed with the windows down and listen. Check the inside edges of the front tyres for feathering.

SuspensionuniversalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented80–150k km

Run-flat tyres and kerbed or cracked wheelsE9x chassis€150–€900

Harsh ride, vibration at speed, slow punctures. Stiff-sidewall run-flats transmit impacts straight into the rim, and these alloys crack rather than bend.

Check: Inspect the inner rim edge of every wheel for cracks and hairline splits, not just the face for kerbing. Budget for a set of conventional tyres; most owners switch and the ride improves markedly.

SuspensioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Corrosion at the rear subframe and arch seamsE9x chassis€300–€2,000

Bubbling at the rear arch lip, scaling on subframe mounting points and rear suspension components. Age plus road salt. This generation isn't a notorious rotter, but nothing from 2005–2013 is immune in a salted market.

Check: Put it on a lift and look at the rear subframe mounting points and the arch lips from behind. Largely a non-issue on cars from southern Europe, a real one on northern and Baltic cars.

Body & corrosionoccasionalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Footwell module (FRM) failureE9x chassis€150–€700

Headlights, indicators, windows, wipers and central locking stop working at once, usually right after a battery change or a jump start. The module's memory corrupts when supply voltage dips. It is the single most common electrical failure on this generation.

Check: Test every window, both mirrors, the wipers, all exterior lights and the central locking before you drive. If any cluster of these is dead, this is why.

ElectricalcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Ranked by probability × repair cost, not by how loudly a failure is discussed. Inherited from the engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, each written once. All 13 issues in full →

Mileage and servicing

What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.

Low mileage isn't protective here: tensioner failures happen across the range, and short-trip cars carbon up the valves faster.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Engine oil Chain wear tracks oil condition	15,000 km or annually	€100–150
Timing chain listen A skipped chain bends valves	every cold start	free
DSG service Dry-clutch units need fluid and adaptation	60,000 km if fitted	€350–550

What to pay

What this engine sells for, against the median of every engine in the chassis. All figures are illustrative placeholders. See the basis chips.

median €4.2k

€2.4k€3.3k€7k

Cheapfind the reasonGood buyif it checks outFairnormal moneyOverpricedneeds justifying

Asking price (€)Mileage (km)

Enter an asking price to get a verdict against this variant's band: cheap, fair, good buy or overpriced.

United States vs Europe

1 EUR = 1.08 USD · 2026-07

🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€3,300band €2,400–€7,000

🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold1.4 TSI CAXA was never a US-market car

What that meansNo US band exists to compare. Any car you find there's a private import, parts and specialist knowledge are thinner, and the price says more about import cost than about the market.

US figures are the EU band converted at a stated rate. No US market differential is modelled: we hold no sourced US asking prices, and inventing one would be worse than saying so. What the comparison does show for real is availability. Most of this range was never sold in the US.

ModelVolkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI
ChassisMk5
EngineCAXA
Years2007–2009
MarketCentral EU
Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07

Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the mk5 median, all 3 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for timing chain tensioner failure and timing chain and tensioner wear (1.4 tsi) should be priced as if the repair is still owed. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

Our judgement, kept separate from the records it's built on.

Our read, not a record

The 1.4 TSI is a genuinely nice engine to use: flexible, quiet and quicker than the numbers suggest. But the problem is the chain. The tensioner can lose tension and let the chain skip, and on a direct-injection engine that means bent valves on a car worth a few thousand. VW revised the part and a receipt for it changes the picture completely. Add the dry-clutch DSG that many were sold with and you've two four-figure risks stacked on one cheap car. Buy with paperwork or buy a diesel.

Everything above this line comes from the issue and specification records. This paragraph is our judgement on top of them. See how we reach it.

Full specification

Manufacturer figures for this engine and body, as recorded in the variant and engine data.

Engine code	CAXA 1.4 TSI
Configuration	I4, turbocharged · 1390 cc
Fuel / injection	petrol · direct
Model years	2007–2009
Facelift phase	Pre-facelift only, to -1
Power / torque	122 PS · 200 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 7-speed dry-clutch DSG/S tronic
Gearbox families	DQ200-7DSG
Drivetrain	FWD
Economy (real-world)	6.5–8.5 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU

1.4 TSI CAXA

Overview

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Pre-purchase inspection

1Cold startYou get one. If the engine is warm when you arrive, come back another day.

2Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

3On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.

4PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.