Fabia 1.4 Greenline sudden engine failure

[milldick]

My daughter's Fabia 1.4 Greenline diesel has recently suffered sudden engine failure for no obvious reason:  it just stopped at a roundabout & wouldn't go again.  No oil lights or other warnings prior to that.  4 years old and 50k miles that's pretty disappointing for a diesel engine: arguably "not fit for purpose"?

 

Garage says conrod bearing failure in system 2 led to significant engine damage.  No lack of oil or oil pump or filter problem.  Recovery, investigation & repair costs are likely to top £4k... ouch!

 

Skoda pretty much say not their problem, only likely to make a small if any contribution, and then only if expensive further diagnostics prove it was a manufacturer's fault.  Service history is OK but not all done at Skoda dealers.

 

Any advice?  Scrap & buy another make?  Repair & hope for the best it doesn't happen again? 

 

Any arguments that might persuade Skoda to be more reasonable over the failure of their car?

 

Any suggestions welcomed!

[Phil-E]

Service doesn't matter if not done by Skoda. As long is was serviced as per Skoda's schedule etc and done by a VAT registered garage.

 

If it has been serviced to schedule then I think Skoda should be footing at least part of the bill.

 

I would get some proper consumer advice so you know what your rights are but yeah possibly not fit for purpose if premature failure has occured.

 

Phil

[devonutopia]

If you repair, I would personally just fit a recon/2nd hand engine from a scrapper.  I don't think that engine should be repaired.  £4k does sound a lot though.  I would think you could buy and fit a replacement engine for about £1k - £1.5k

[xman]

 

Skoda pretty much say not their problem, only likely to make a small if any contribution, and then only if expensive further diagnostics prove it was a manufacturer's fault.  Service history is OK but not all done at Skoda dealers.

 

if expensive further diagnostics prove it was a manufacturer's fault, then under EU law I think they will have to foot a large part of the bill. Keep trying Skoda UK directly with evidence you have, threaten legal action. Small claims court would be a low cost way of making them pay.

 

The opinion of an "expert" is whats needed. Talk to a skoda dealer and ask if they are willing to help, or advise.

[milldick]

Thanks for the advice folks, much appreciated.  I'd be reserved about a recon one Devonutopia, not knowing much about the motor trade... couldn't it go bang in a month's time with no redress?

The Skoda garage now say it looks like lubrication failure:  all 3 conrods worn.  Plenty of oil in the system at the time of breakdown (RAC man confirmed) and once retrieved to the garage; not an obvious oil pump failure, and it's never obviously used/ lost oil.

It doesn't really help us as it means it's difficult to prove blame and that's what we understand we'd have to do to get a contribution from Skoda with a 4 year old car.  Ho hum, ~£500 sunk costs to date, and £3,400 to get it back working again.  At least that would then have a 2 yr warranty.

So through no fault of ours that we're aware of we're suddenly £4k worse off... thanks Skoda!  We're not likely to buy another one!

[PDIBK]

Just spitballing:

1) I had a 1994 Renault 19 dtTd. In 2000 the exact same thing you describe happened to me. For me it was cambelt snapping, shot all valves through head. I had to decide whether to scrap (realising about £500 but needing a new car too) or repair for £1200 (at a garage my Dad knew and trusted). I went for repair.

2) With mine, as yours, it was out of warranty. I had zero comeback, looked at when the belt had been changed etc and the garage that repaired said it may have been nicked or frayed fitting, but proving it would be next to impossible. For you, the engine is not long out of warranty, it's been serviced, so there may be some good will from Skoda for such a failure. I guess it depends of it is considered mechanical failure, or failure of perishable, non warranty parts.

3) was the correct oil used at the services, not done by Skoda? If this gets down and dirty , they may look at the service history and try to claim incorrect to OE parts were used. Make sure you're watertight in this respect.

4) as with me, the choice is whether to replace the engine/repair and have an otherwise trustworthy car that you chose to own, or scrap it/sell as spares and repair and have to fork out significantly more than £4k quoted for another 4 year old Fabia?

[jme808]

Sounds like a nightmare, I would be cursing Skoda as well if it happened (or happens) to me...  I would consider a recon as well if in your shoes - or at least look into the pricing and warranty side of it more.  £4k is almost the value of the car.

 

Out of interest when you say 'the garage' do you mean a skoda dealership?  If so, I would wonder if any independent garage would be able to offer a more competitive price for repair...

 

Good luck, whatever you choose to do.

[devonutopia]

So why spend a net £3.4k (even if Skoda giving you £500) when you could get a 2nd hand engine bought and fitted for £1.5k?

[fordfan]

I've read about these engines having oil pump drive chain failure, so that seems quite possible.  The car is out of warranty, so you're left with goodwill from Skoda, as it's been serviced out of their network, they won't be forthcoming with any goodwill.  The only other recourse is the Sale of goods Act and go after the dealer you bought the car from, which will likely be a load of hassle without a guaranteed result.

[eccleshill]

Service doesn't matter if not done by Skoda. As long is was serviced as per Skoda's schedule etc and done by a VAT registered garage.

 

If it has been serviced to schedule then I think Skoda should be footing at least part of the bill.

 

Oh but it does matter!  In fact it goes to the very crux of the matter.  The Skoda "good will" contribution is exactly that - a thank you for loyalty.  Further, they know that if it has been serviced through their network it has been done by fully trained technicians and not some hamfisted grease monkey with a Skoda badge on his sign.  I know that argument goes both ways but look at it from their point of view for a moment.

 

The hidden advantage of sticking with the dealership network is the knowledge that in the event of a just-out-of-warranty failure you get the contribution.  When you save money by going elsewhere this is the price you pay.  You gamble... and sometimes you lose!

[GreelineJon]

Hello.

 

I have experienced the same problem albeit the car has lasted 95k miles (from new).

The chain that drives the oil pump and the contra rotating balance shaft has snapped - managed to wrap itself round the crankshaft and has taken the engine out.

 

Car was purchased in 2010; warranty expired in 2013.

 

There is no service interval (that I can see) for the inspection/replacement of the chain.

All chains stretch, particularly those that are having to withstand out of balance rotating located on a rotating shaft. I would have expected a service inspection/replacement around the period of the cam belt change - it's (the cam belt service interval) also convenient because the cam belt gear must be removed before there is any possibility of removing and replacing stretched chain close to breaking.

 

Would suggest you use the Sale of Goods act 1979.

 

Due to the design of the driver for the contra rotating shaft (and the oil pump) there is every reason to expect that chain will stretch and potentially cause a catastrophic failure. VAG/Skoda have provided no mechanism for an inspection/service of this critical part and have not informed the customers that this component may well fail in a period that is far less than that expected for a regularly/well serviced Diesel Engine.

In my case, I bought the car from new - I'll (under the Sale of Goods Act 1979) suggest that the dealership is reponsible for a pretty reasonable portion of the £5000 for the new engine and fitting.

 

It's worth a go - I think

 

 

[mannyo]

The original poster of this thread has not visited the forum since December 2013 so hopefully its now resolved for them.

[xman]

There seems to be a disturbing trend toward more and more catastrophic engines failures in modern vag cars.

 

I would hazard a guess that the op's 1.4 gl may be down to non pd oil being used (by independents?)

 

GreelineJon - I must say that driving the balancer shaft off a chain seems like a pretty stupid idea. On the 3 cylinder htp petrols at least they are gear driven off the crank.

 

It seems after several years of unreliable attempts to use chains on their engines it seems vag have finnaly given up and gone back to cambelts. I hope they get the tensioners right this time around!

Edited 16 April, 2014 by xman

[xman]

Jon, I see you posted on HJ forum, expecting a reasonable discussion. Well, as I have found out, that forum is infested with patronising old gits who think anything not made by Toyota is rubbish, and obviously at their age and probable civil service pensions cant see the logic or benefit of anything that trusting the dealer and oil changes at 3000 mile intervals. They are a bunch of ****s filled with their own self importance, yes, probably ex civil servants....

 

I understand your frustration at their attitude and sympathise with you greatly.

 

No consolation of course, but no manufacturer gives goodwill outside of warranty unless theres the possibilty of legal action, and that includes the "holy' toyota.

 

 

You drew the short straw when you chose that engine, I certainly would cross Vag off my list if it happened to me. Trouble is I've already crossed off several manufacturers off my  list, Honda, Vauxhall, Fiat to name but a few.

 

Good luck with the legal action, unlikely to get far, but I wish it would for your sake.

[FAB59]

@xman:

Sorry to hijack this thread, but why have you crossed off Honda? Vauxhall and Fiat I totally understand, these 2 were never on my list to begin with.

Just asking because if I were to get rid of my Fabia, my first option would be a Jazz.