Increased oil consumption is one of the most common problems in modern cars with internal combustion engines. Sooner or later, absolutely every driver faces this problem. However, there are some engines in which oil consumption begins much earlier than the driver would like. It is even worse when this problem begins to actively progress, worsening with every kilometer traveled. Here are five units that are installed en masse in many popular cars and which are best avoided when choosing a used car.
1. EA888
The four-cylinder turbo engines EA888 are widely used in Volkswagen Group cars. These are units with a volume of 1.8 and 2 liters with direct injection and a turbocharger with a power of 150 to 220 horsepower. The main problem of the VAG engines in question is the very thin piston rings and modest drain holes in the piston channels. An attempt to make the installation as simple as possible leads to the fact that the engine began to consume oil from a liter per 1000 km, almost from zero mileage. Subsequent attempts by VAG specialists to correct the situation by modernizing the engine, although they improved the situation, did not help to completely eliminate the problem.
2. MR20DE
Japanese engines are traditionally considered reliable, but even among them there are some frankly unsuccessful installations. Especially when it comes to lubricant consumption. The most striking example of this is the MR20DE engine from Nissan. Unlike the aforementioned “VW masterpiece“, Japanese engines do not start consuming oil from the first kilometers. After crossing the 150 thousand km mark, the MR20DE engine begins to consume about 1 liter per 5 thousand km. The worst situation is with cars manufactured from 2007 to 2008. Later, the problem was partially solved through several upgrades. On cars after 2014, the problem practically disappears.
3. FB/FA
Subaru is considered a reliable brand, but it is difficult to call the FB/FA series engines successful in this regard. FB engines begin to consume oil intensively at low mileage. Only after a major overhaul of the unit, the problem most often remains a thing of the past. As for the boxer FA engines, the first problems with them can occur even after 5 thousand kilometers of mileage. The worst situation is with the FB20/25 engine model. These engines are insatiable in terms of oil. There are known cases when drivers complain of intensive oil consumption, which begins at the end of the first year.
4. ZZ
This is a series of Japanese engines from Toyota, which suffers from exactly the same problems as the EA888 from VAG, mentioned at the very beginning - thin rings and crappy drainage. For example, a 1.8-liter 1ZZ-FE begins to consume an average of 1 liter per thousand km after a run of 35-50 thousand km. Most often, installations from the ZZ family are found in cars such as Toyota Corolla and Toyota Avensis. With 2.4-liter 2AZ-FE units, the situation is noticeably better, but their owners also guarantee that you will encounter oil consumption when the mileage approaches the mark of 200 thousand kilometers. These engines are most often seen on Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Camry.
5. 4A91
The maximally simplified 4A91 engine from Mitsubishi with a working volume of 1.5 liters on paper could be an ideal engine for its price segment. However, technical simplicity does not prevent the 4A91 from consuming at least a liter of oil per thousand only after a ridiculous 100 thousand km of mileage. Moreover, unlike many other installations, the oil consumption of the Mitsubishi engine not only appears, but also progresses extremely effectively, constantly aggravating the situation. In these engines, oil disappears not only through the cylinders, but also through the front crankshaft oil seal.