Car Model Guide/ Volkswagen/ Passat/ B6 Variant/ 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 Passat wagon (B6 Variant), sold 2007–2010 with 122 PS and manual or automatic. Demands diligence at level 3. The EA111 chain tensioner is the weak point, and the engine is working hard in a car this heavy. 14 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.

Volkswagen Passat wagon (B6 Variant) · photo VW Passat B6 Variant 20090517 front by M 93 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Power122 PS

Torque200 Nm

Years2007–2010

Fuelpetrol

DriveFWD

EnginesCAXA

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 14 recorded in total.

28High 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 −22 · 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

ElectricswatchPlenum drain blockage and module water damage, €0–€1,200.+3 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 failureVW group DQ200 seven-speed dry-clutch DSG€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

Plenum drain blockage and module water damagePassat platform€0–€1,200

Damp or soaked carpets, misted windows, and electrical faults that come and go as water reaches the control modules under the seats and in the footwells. The drains in the plenum chamber under the windscreen block with leaves and debris, and water then overflows into the cabin. The comfort control module sits low enough to be soaked, which is where a cheap fault turns expensive.

Check: Lift the carpets front and rear and press for damp, check under the seats for corroded module connectors, and clear the plenum drains yourself before you buy.

ElectricalcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented80–200k 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

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 14 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.

Cold-start rattle is the thing to listen for. It matters more here than the odometer does.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Timing chain and tensioner A skipped chain wrecks the engine	listen at cold start	€700–1,300
Engine oil Tensioner wear follows oil condition	15,000 km or annually	€80–120
DSG oil + filter The dry-clutch box needs its service	60,000 km on DSG cars	€200–350

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 €2.6k

€1.6k€2.1k€4.3k

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€2,150band €1,600–€4,300

🇺🇸 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 Passat 1.4 TSI
ChassisB6 Variant
EngineCAXA
Years2007–2010
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 b6 variant median, all 5 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

Putting a 1.4 in a Passat sounds optimistic and it drives better than it reads, because the turbo does the work low down. The catch is the EA111 timing chain, whose tensioner can lose tension after the car stands and let the chain skip on start-up. So listen from stone cold and ask about the updated tensioner. In a car this size the engine is working harder than it does in a Golf, which makes the service history matter more rather than less.

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	2007–2010
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	VW group DQ200 seven-speed dry-clutch DSG
Drivetrain	FWD
Economy (real-world)	6.5–8 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.