Skoda Octavia EGR Failure - 2 months out of warranty.

[Jiupro]

Hi,

New to the Forum and desparate for some advice. I was the proud owner of a Skoda Octavia 60 plate, 1.6 common rail diesel, 36,000 miles, main-dealer service (skoda parts) but not Skoda main dealer. The car's been brilliant; bought for its well known attributes including reliability. I am now two months out of warranty.

 

After having a flashing coil and engine light warnings appear it was taken to a main dealers for diagnostics. I was contacted by the main dealer and told it needed a new EGR valve, which would need 5.5 hours labour and would cost £1200!!!!!!

 

I am still in shock, and don't really know what to do. I have got a slight glimmer of hope, the dealer said they would contact Skoda Uk but because I hadn't had the car serviced at a Skoda main dealer it would go against me.

 

I have completely lost faith in the car and  don't whether to just try and part exchange it  and get rid or wait for the next major and excessively expensive failure (I have read the injectors are also prone to failure.)

 

Any advice gratefully received.

 

Nick

Edited 25 November, 2013 by Jiupro

[silver1011]

Await the response from Skoda UK.

 

If no joy then take the car to your non-franchised dealer (who performed the servicing for you) and ask them for a quote to replace the EGR.

 

It'll likely be a lot less, for the same reasons you chose to use these guys instead of the main dealer I guess?

 

Also, do a search on here, it might be possible to clean the EGR instead of replacing it completely. 

[Jiupro]

Await the response from Skoda UK.

 

If no joy then take the car to your non-franchised dealer (who performed the servicing for you) and ask them for a quote to replace the EGR.

 

It'll likely be a lot less, for the same reasons you chose to use these guys instead of the main dealer I guess?

 

Also, do a search on here, it might be possible to clean the EGR instead of replacing it completely. 

Thank you for your response. Main reason for the non-franchised dealer was proximity. I had considered a blanking valve but apparently because the EGR comes within a cooler unit you can't do this. I'll certainly have a look re cleaning it.

Cheers,

Nick

[silver1011]

Interesting reading here Nick...

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/272158-egr-fault-is-this-common/

[alberg]

Many have this issue, more who drive city and short drives. They usually let engine cooler escape.

A new EGR system costs around 500 euros, very pricey labour your way.

Take it o trusty garage and get your self the EGR.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-MK7-1-6-TDI-2013-ON-EGR-COOLER-04L131512D-CLH-/111198242554?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item19e3ee86fa

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EGR-Valve-and-EXHAUST-EGR-COOLER-VW-Audi-seat-skoda-1-6-TDI-CAY-0280751012-/161148028032?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item25852bc480

http://www.ebay.de/itm/VW-GOLF-MK7-1-6-TDI-2013-ON-EGR-VALVE-04L131501C-CLH-/121201278777?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c3828bf39

[lee c]

I had a loss of coolant 6 weeks before my warranty expired.  As you do, i thought thats strange. and just filled it up.  A month later it was on low again and i though didnt i top that up recently,  Ill remeber to keep an eye on it. 4 weeks later it was low again.

 

so at this stage i took it to the dealer and they did a pressure test.  No problem sir its the EGR valve leaking £800 to replace and we'll stump up £200 as your just out of warranty.   Yep you guessed it.  4 weeks later and the coolant is low agin so back it goes.

 

For the next 3 months this goes on and they pressure test it, contact skoda tech, get it back in and do some more work.  Eventually they say we need to remove the head to look for bore wash.  Apparently thats coolant leaking into the cylinder.  and they come back and say sorry sir it looks like the head has gone porus and is leaking coolant into the cylinder.  Thatll be £2500 quid, but we'll speak to Skoda uk and see if we can get them to pay some of the cost.

 

Now we had to get into it for money.  In the end i had to prove my customer loyalty by showing them the purchase reciept for my 55 plate Fab Vrs as well as the 08 plate Octy (that was buggered) and the service logs for the Fab and Octy so they could see that all the time the car was in warranty i had it serviced by them.  Thank god i did.  All the time I was paying stupid money for servicing i was thinking that if there ever was a fault then i would have much better chance of a claim.

 

In the end I payed £2300 in total for the head and the EGR that wasnt even fauty as it turns out.  And the final straw was that i had to pay up in December right at Christmas.

 

Fair Play to the dealer they did all the work and gave me the car back whilst themselves and Skoda decided how bad my contribution was going to be.  I still had to keep calling and chasing Skoda Uk myself as the dealer suggested.

 

I didnt realise that the first time the water went low the garage could pressure test it and if they had done so ALL of the work would have been covered within warranty.

 

I would invest a hundred quid in getting some legal advice as 3 years on a car is not a decent length of time. Basic statutory rights state Satisfactory quality, as described Fit for purpose and last a REASONABLE lenght of time.  Agree or not i dont think 3 years is a reaonable ammount of time.  ESPECIALLY as it was just 2 weeks outside of warranty.

 

Where do you draw the line on the ammount of time?  I dont know, but i would invest in some propper legal advice.

 

I hope you get it sorted with the minimum cost but more importantly with the minimum amount of stress.

 

Regards

Lee

[Aspman]

Where do you draw the line on the ammount of time?  I dont know, but i would invest in some propper legal advice.

 

 

You should have up to 6 years from new.

 

Having a warranty doesn't mean your statutory rights end after 3yr. It's just that much harder to exercise them.

[Jiupro]

Hi,

I'm really grateful for all the advice and similar issues.

The update from the dealer is that they have contacted Skoda UK who have refused to offer any goodwill gesture! Happy Skoda!

I have contacted Skoda UK who have raised a case but told they can't be held responsible if a non-franchised dealer "tampered" with the EGR valve!

I await their response.

Cheers,

Nick

[jackhunter007]

hi,had the same thing with my car but they covered it but the computer said it was the valve but it was a seal in another part that casue the problem in the end

[gadgetman]

Our egr cost £350 at a main dealer!

[m0bov]

Did you buy the car new? If so, how did you pay?

[Jiupro]

Did you buy the car new? If so, how did you pay?

HI,

I am the second owner, I bought the car when it was just under a year old from an Arnold Clarke Superstore in Stafford. I believe I put a deposit down on the credit card to invoke s.75 of the consumer credit act and paid the rest from my account via a personal loan!

Cheers,

Nick

[gadgetman]

Does it have full skoda dealer service history? If not skoda won't help at all

[Jiupro]

Does it have full skoda dealer service history? If not skoda won't help at all

Hi,

No unfortunately! it has main dealer service as per Skoda specs with Genuine Skoda parts used though. I have a vague memory that European legislation allowed this to ensure an environment of competition?

Must admit I'm a bit disappointed with SKODA's response at present. There are numerous EGR issues on this site and elsewhere for EGRs in general. Seems to be a case of when not if!

[alberg]

Around here the word goes that skoda 70% of the bill

[Jiupro]

Wow,

I think it might be cheaper to drive it to Portugal and get the work done there! Although in "limp" mode it might take a few weeks!

[Stoofa]

Hi,

No unfortunately! it has main dealer service as per Skoda specs with Genuine Skoda parts used though. I have a vague memory that European legislation allowed this to ensure an environment of competition?

Must admit I'm a bit disappointed with SKODA's response at present. There are numerous EGR issues on this site and elsewhere for EGRs in general. Seems to be a case of when not if!

 

You are right and wrong here.

It is true that a manufacturer cannot invalidate a warranty if you decide not to take the car back to them for servicing etc.

However this is not servicing, you are asking for a goodwill gesture - for a manufacturer to offer to pay for the repair for something after the warranty has expired.

A full service history from Skoda would all but guarantee them making a gesture - anywhere from 25% - 100% (even if it started low you could probably negotiate it upwards).

You made the decision not to go back to the manufacturer. They cannot invalidate your warranty, they didn't invalidate your warranty. What they can now say is that there is no guarantee the work that was done on your car was "up to Skoda standards" and so they don't feel a gesture is needed for what could have been the independent service centre messing things up.

[Jiupro]

You are right and wrong here.

It is true that a manufacturer cannot invalidate a warranty if you decide not to take the car back to them for servicing etc.

However this is not servicing, you are asking for a goodwill gesture - for a manufacturer to offer to pay for the repair for something after the warranty has expired.

A full service history from Skoda would all but guarantee them making a gesture - anywhere from 25% - 100% (even if it started low you could probably negotiate it upwards).

You made the decision not to go back to the manufacturer. They cannot invalidate your warranty, they didn't invalidate your warranty. What they can now say is that there is no guarantee the work that was done on your car was "up to Skoda standards" and so they don't feel a gesture is needed for what could have been the independent service centre messing things up.

[Jiupro]

I do understand that point of view, and realise I am unable to "demand" anything. The thing that grates is that the EGR is not a serviceable item, so unlikely to have been damaged by poor servicing, which is what anyway? Oil/filters/spark plugs, so should it fail at 36,000 miles and 38 months? It appears from numerous posts that many do fail. So surely, it should be designed to be readily serviceable and not cost an eye-watering £1200+

I have no doubt that Hyundai, Kia, Toyota have similar EGR failures but have longer warranties that lessen the impact on their customers.

[alberg]

Wow,

I think it might be cheaper to drive it to Portugal and get the work done there! Although in "limp" mode it might take a few weeks!

 

as gadgetman said, the EGR valve (includes cooler) cost 350 quid.

 

gadgetman do you have part number so our friend can check out the price

[jrw]

If many are failing then it's inherently faulty. It's as you say a non serviceable item so should last the life of the car as such.

This means you can invoke the sales of goods act. My mate has just had £5k of new engine for £900 on his non dealer serviced golf gti as he proved that the part that caused the engine to seize was inherently faulty and unable to inspect at a service.

[Jiupro]

If many are failing then it's inherently faulty. It's as you say a non serviceable item so should last the life of the car as such.

This means you can invoke the sales of goods act. My mate has just had £5k of new engine for £900 on his non dealer serviced golf gti as he proved that the part that caused the engine to seize was inherently faulty and unable to inspect at a service.

[Jiupro]

Really interesting point! If I get no joy I might submit a Freedom of Information Act request and see how many have actually failed within the warranty period.

Do you know if your mate invoked the Sale of Goods Act with VW or with whom he bought the car from?

Cheers,

Nick

[Jiupro]

Apologies , just realised my obvious mistake. Freedom of information applies to public bodies not private companies! Doh!

[jrw]

It doesn't matter, if there is evidence on a variety of forums then it would be up to Skoda to dis prove it. He invoked it with vw UK as the dodgy dealer he bought it from refused to help him even though it seized 6 days from purchase.

He's currently suing him for the £1.4k out of pocket he is for the 6 months his car was off the road and the part of the bill he had to pay

I've never failed using the sales of goods act from 20 quid powerline adaptors to laptops to cars.