100,000 miles of poor reliability in a Skoda Yeti 1.2TSi

[x19]

Think I would seriously consider Honda HRV/CRV or Toyota Rav4 as a serious reliable contender on your next car. Know a few people and they haven't had much other than normal running costs.

The OP wanted a load carrier and the CR-V is certainly that, without removing the seats as I did with my Yeti.  

 

The rear seats fold down in one go with the pull of a single tab and provide an almost flat cargo area which is 6 foot from the back of the front seats to the rear internal boot lip.  The rod bag in the photo is 5' 11" long and sits comfortably in back to front.  I my Yeti I had to put it in diagonally across to make it fit.

 

The CR-V is not however a drivers car as the Yeti certainly is. I also don't think there is a car that "sits" and "looks" better on the road than a Yeti. If you want a bit of excitement driving then the CR-V is not for you.  The clue's in the title, CR-V = Comfortable Recreational Vehicle and it is definitely that, making what I describe as leisurely progress. It's like driving in a large comfortable armchair at a quiet, sedate pace,

 

It's totally reliable and boring, just what I want these days.  It is however somewhat more expensive and heavier on the juice than the Yeti, with mine averaging around 36-37 mpg but that's to be expected with a large heavy automatic petrol.  It also tows OK.  I normally just use a trailer with it but I did do someone a favour recently and moved (what I would describe as a large) caravan about 20 miles without the slightest fuss.

 

At the end of the day it's what attributes you place most importance on in a vehicle and buy accordingly.

[Falmouthboy]

@ Falmouthboy. Have had the recovery boys out once and been in limp hime mode 5 times. Two holidays, two business meetings and a trip to see family had to be abandoned. 'Limp home' not quite as bad as a full recovery but still a major pain in the ***!

Not good - certainly drawn a short straw.

Our other car is a BMW M135i. We are in a social group locally with 7 other owners of the same. All cars are between 1 - 2 years old. None of us have had a single warranty claim except one person. He has had a new steering rack, new gear box (and still not right), new arm rest, new door seals, problems with his dashboard and a couple of other things I can't recall. There really seems to be such a thing as a 'Friday car' whatever the make and it sounds as if you have one too!

However, c**p dealer aside, I wouldn't let your experience put you off too much as overall experience seems good. You have just been very unlucky.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited 23 January, 2016 by Falmouthboy

[mhjonesuk]

Well, I've hit 100,000 miles and not without a few issues. Can anyone beat this for a poor reliability record:

 

1. ABS warning harness failure (warranty)

2. Turbo error (Turbo shim recall done)

3. Turbo error (Turbo shim recall done incorrectly)

4. Near side front wheel bearing failure (warranty)

5. HT Lead failure (HT Leads changed to upgraded design under recall)

6. HT Leads melted to manifold (incorrectly fitted recall work)

7. Drivers seat trim worked loose (warranty)

8. Respray of side sills due to paint chipping (recall)

9. Drivers door hinge worked loose (warranty)

10. Bulb blown warning error despite bulb ok (warranty)

11. Off side front wheel bearing failure (warranty)

12. Brake pad wear plug broken (dealer servicing error)

13. Near side drop bar link failure (warranty)

14. Warped brake discs (due to length of time dealer failed to diagnose broken wheel bearing)

15. Respray of rear boot due to pain blistering (warranty)

16. Head light levellers moving of own accord (never been fixed!)

17. Timing chain failure (warranty)

18. Throttle air intake clogged

19. Near side front brake calipers worn loose (independent warranty)

20. Off side front brake calipers worn loose (independent warranty)

21. Horn failed (independent warranty)

 

At least the car has been cheap on consumables: Only half way through the second set of brake pads &discs and just about to get my third set of tyres.

 

This will, however, be a very expensive car to own out of warranty.

 

Wish me luck for the next 100,000 miles!!

 

Mine wasn't quite as bad as yours, in 94000 miles I think I had almost all the known teething problems.

 

Oil leak

Number 3 ht lead

seat belt receiver cracked [driver side]

cam chain destroyed engine

DSG clutch problem - plate replaced

All sorted under warranty.

Seat belt holder then failed again

2 or 3 sensors failed then the no 3 lead went again,  this was sorted by the dealer but just after i picked it up popped into a shop and it refused to start. The RAC said it was probably a fuel pump on its way out but it would work intermittently.

I took it back to the dealer who found that the Turbo was leaking and they needed to fix that before they could even say for sure about the fuel pump.

To be fair to the dealer White Dove in Cardiff they got me a goodwill gesture from Skoda and a contribution from themselves. I decided to cut my losses and bought a 1 yr old Fabia diesel from them as I had a good part ex. allowance. Can't fault the dealer in all this and I also got to test drive plenty of courtesy cars which is why I ended up with the Fabia. I wont get another 1.2 tsi though as I don't trust them.

[aerofurb]

Whilst I agree any failings on a car tend to taint one's opinion of it, I'm not sure the OP's list quite lines up with the thread title.

 

My thoughts are:

 

1. If a component fails in less than its forecast (reasonable) service life then, yup, that is poor reliability.

 

2. If a component is replaced as part of a 'recall' (and before anyone goes offonski on the term 'recall' - I mean that the dealer asked for car to be brought in to prevent a reliability issue), that is preventative maintenance and is good customer care.

 

3. If a component fails or is damaged by the installer failing to fit it correctly then that is a failing/incompetence by the garage - not a fault with the component itself. 

[Abominable]

 

 

2. If a component is replaced as part of a 'recall' (and before anyone goes offonski on the term 'recall' - I mean that the dealer asked for car to be brought in to prevent a reliability issue), that is preventative maintenance and is good customer care.

 

 

 

I completely agree with you on number 2. The trouble is my Yeti had to fail on every occasion prior to the recall work being done, i.e. I was never "recalled" to have the car repaired prior to the part failing, so I ended up stranded on every occasion. That's even worse than never even serving a recall notice in the first place!

 

Technically though, I'm not sure if the 'recalls' for paint, timing chain, ht leads etc were ever proper 'recalls' they were meant to be identified at a service and the work done then or shortly thereafter. In my experience this system is dysfunctional as it left me at the roadside with a problem to deal with, therefor I could not rely upon the car so the title of the thread is correct - the car was "unreliable" on those occasions.

Edited 23 January, 2016 by Abominable

[Ryeman]

Out here we're addicted to Asian makes, particularly Japanese, simply for their reliability and value for money.

VW, in particular, are trying to compete on price BUT with (seemingly, for the buyers) crossed fingers for reliability outside the warranty period; where Japanese just plod on with relative reliability from less(?) complexity.

Either way, the 'golden days' of driving are like the sun - setting.

[Falmouthboy]

In the UK there are two types of recall. Those considered to be of a safety concern are initiated by the DfT and require the manufacturer to make every effort to contact the owner and get them to bring the car in. There is no such obligation on the manufacturer to contact owners for non safety related recalls and these are often only done when cars come in for service or other work.

Sitting below that are 'known faults' rather than recalls, whereby the work is done free of charge, but only in the event of a failure.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited 24 January, 2016 by Falmouthboy

[Ryeman]

In the UK

....

Sitting below that are 'known faults' rather than recalls, whereby the work is done free of charge, but only in the event of a failure.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

So, being 'known faults' , does a failure beyond the 3 year warranty, cost the owner?.

[Falmouthboy]

This is where we are in the territory of 'good will' Ryeman. So each manufacturer will have their own policy and it often depends on the car having a full dealer service history and the nature of the part involved, mileage and age. I've not been a Skoda owner long enough to know their attitude to this.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Ryeman]

I certainly believe in loyalty out here when it comes to European vehicles.

Never with any of my Japanese ones though, did them all myself.....knees creak too much now though.

[Abominable]

Thanks to you all for your replies. I'm in agreement, the Japanese brands probably offer more reliability but less character & drive-ability. The beauty of the Yeti, amongst other things, has been the huge load area when the rear seats are removed, flinging in a couple of bikes, a fridge or a set of drawers is a breeze - the Rav 4's, Qashqui's and CRV's just don't offer that.

 

So, I'm thinking I get another low mileage Yeti and keep my fingers crossed it'll be better or I go for a van like the Ford Transit Courier that has that superb 1.0l ecoboost engine. I'll loose out on ground clearance of course, but its Fiesta / Focus underpinning will probably mean superb reliability.

 

Or, I just stick with the Yeti I have and hope for the best....

[Ootohere]

Surely the Yeti is now sorted and good to go on and on.

Just a good trusted mechanic needed, and you can get that in Nairn if not Inverness.

 

http://bitzmotorsport.com

Edited 24 January, 2016 by GoneOffskiroottoot

[Sad555]

I think with the VAG advertising over the years buyers have been hoodwinked into believing as good as their cars for reliability they are not as reliable as their Asian counterparts ,I've owned only 2 Skodas and have been lucky like most owners not to have a problem,and both cars have been great but I think that's where the difference is.when I had Japanese cars I never expected problems with reliability ,water ingress,or paint/inclusions issues but with others I feel that there is always a problem waiting to appear which can sometimes be expected but that is also the other problem with VAG is that they don't support their customers enough and lie as much as they can to cover up issues which become well known thanks to great forums like this,like the classic 2.0 Tsi engines,how many customer worldwide were lead to believe it was their fault the oil consumption was so high,not to mention the ongoing emissions scandle which also appears as another great lie with no solution and if/when it arrives what will be the repercussions of not any long term testing on a solution when perhaps parts in the emissions system start to fail Vag will deny any problems down to them.

[Abominable]

Surely the Yeti is now sorted and good to go on and on.

Just a good trusted mechanic needed, and you can get that in Nairn if not Inverness.

 

http://bitzmotorsport.com

 

 

I've heard Bitz are good. Must check them out, they're just down the road!

 

Aye, hopefully it'll just be wear-and-tear issues from now on. Hopefully!

[Ootohere]

Now that Macrae & D!ck have been bought by Parks of Hamilton things will change in Inverness for AC. Maybe.

 

Maybe you will get a McLaren showroom as well.

Edited 24 January, 2016 by GoneOffskiroottoot

[Expatman]

Surely the difference in cars now and a few years ago is that they are all made by robot so much of the human variability in manufacture has been removed by automation. it is true that basic design and engineering can vary between makes but basically any of the established brands has similar capabilities and are drawing closed together in terms of concept - note the almost simultaneous widespread introduction of small turbocharged 3 cylinder engines. 

[Ryeman]

They aren't 'conceived' by robots (at this stage) intellectual property is still the main factor in the product.

I remember the standard Toyota/Lexus used for proof of quality; rolling a ball bearing around the panel gaps.

Now you can do that to all cars thanks to laser guided robotics.

But if the cam chain specs are wrong, don't blame the robot.

[bigjohn]

They aren't 'conceived' by robots (at this stage) intellectual property is still the main factor in the product.

I remember the standard Toyota/Lexus used for proof of quality; rolling a ball bearing around the panel gaps.

Now you can do that to all cars thanks to laser guided robotics.

But if the cam chain specs are wrong, don't blame the robot.

 

Small robot ? 

 

 

 

Skoda getting a bad press here - I've owned three Skoda's (have two at the mo) and thus far they have been great

 

1) Skoda Octavia 2001 1.4 16v   - owned from new (still got it) and still going strong at 120k miles (Forums were full of reports of these engines falling apart at 30-50k)

 

2) Skoda Superb 2003 1.9pd100 -  bought at 18months old, original clutch , original battery and original exhaust. Recently sold but still going strong at 170k miles

 

3)  Skoda Superb 2014 1.4 tsi      - bought at 14 month old - So far so good but we shall see

 

 

One possible factor - I never buy a new model of any car

Edited 24 January, 2016 by bigjohn

[Abominable]

 

 

One possible factor - I never buy a new model of any car

 

I think you've got a point there.

 

My Yeti must have been one of the earlier ones off the production line and the 1.2TSi engine was pretty new on the scene too....if the things that have since been 'recalled' (excuse my terminology) had not occurred (ht leads, paint issues, turbo, timing chain etc) I would have been much less pee'd off as that would have left smaller problems and those that could, to some degree at least, have been attributed to wear and tear (i.e. the wheel bearing).

 

Also, avoiding Arnold Clark would have made a big difference too!

Edited 25 January, 2016 by Abominable

[Nathanio]

I'm not sure the Japanese reliability thing is always true either. My FIL has had a succession of Japanese cars and they haven't been without their faults. On his Accord it was mostly electrical issues and gremlins. On his mk2 Mazda 3 MPS it has been a mixture. It has left him stranded twice (maybe 3 times) with a failed damper (3 weeks for a new one from Japan), battery failure and something else which I can't remember. My Octavia might have cost me £6000 in repairs in 4 years but it never, ever left us stranded or in a dangerous situation. 

 

I also seem to recall the Civic FN2 wasn't overly reliable and has had some pretty dire reports.....

 

Lexus on the other hand do seem to get it right alot. 

[Ryeman]

I've had every major Japanese brand and never had a single problem and thus never bothered with genuine service; doing it myself.

They were all from Japanese factories.

Never any problem selling privately.

Edited 25 January, 2016 by Ryeman

[Ootohere]

Lots of Japanese Manufacturers Design and Build cars / vans in Europe.

They give a decent Manufacturers Warranty and After Care Service.

 

Lots of Volkswagen cars and vans might be designed in Europe built in other countries around the world, South Africa as an example then sold in Europe.

 

European Manufacturers do not mean good Quality Control of Components or anything else is guaranteed,

actually even many  European Manufacturer have not that much faith to give a decent Manufacturers Warranty on what they do build.

[Ryeman]

If you're a component supplier, quality is expected.

They are conservative for a reason.

The airbag issue is a big scandal for the Japanese.

[VAGCF]

This is where we are in the territory of 'good will' Ryeman. So each manufacturer will have their own policy and it often depends on the car having a full dealer service history and the nature of the part involved, mileage and age. I've not been a Skoda owner long enough to know their attitude to this.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

As per my posting on another thread this is something I totally disagree with.

 

If it's known fault it should either be dealt with as a recall or during servicing but if left by the manufacturer, their choice, if it fails outside of the warranty period and inside 10 years it should be paid for by the manufacturer. A known fault has arisen by poor design or quality (despite the vast amounts spent on R&D and testing) and as such it should be down to the manufacturer.

 

Why should some poor second-hand owner a few years down the line, not aware of the issues like enthusiasts generally are, be saddled with a big bill for something that should lie fairly and squarely at the manufacturers door. We are after all talking about an expensive commodity here, not just a washing machine! Buying a "good" brand of car a few years old shouldn't be a lottery if it has been serviced as per the manufacturers instructions etc. Potential owners shouldn't have to become experts on different cars' failings!

 

I know I'm living in cloud cuckoo land and little will change but it's really not good enough is it?   

[Falmouthboy]

As you say - cloud cuckoo land. Cars are far more expensive and complex than washing machines and do go wrong due to parts that fail - some proving less reliable than others. Manufacturers of cars are getting better at recognising this too - 3 year warranties are now expected, some offer more, five or in the case of Kia seven years (I remember when a one or two year warranty with a new car was more normal). Also, consumer law is more and more on our side. Buying and running a car out of warranty is an expensive risk, that is partly why second-hand cars are proportionally so much cheaper - because you take that risk you can buy breakdown insurance if you run an older car and want to insulate yourself from a nasty shock.

What you seek comes at a cost, albeit an indirect one. It will result in the consumer paying one way or another through higher prices. There hasn't exactly been a stampede to follow Kia, because clearly it hasn't had the sales or residual value benefits that perhaps Kia had hoped.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk