tincanfabia

I can live with that...sorry if I sounded overly angry but if you do read back there is some emotive issues relating to vehicle safety, and driver attitude. Hurrying up on the road isnt a good idea at rush hour,never mind returning a car that has steering issues confirmed by the RAC. Agree to disagree it is...Glasgow taxi drivers swear by them, so....I`m unlucky, I hate to have to do this but I stand my point...I got told some porky pies...St Andrews thinking I was just an unknowledgable womble. I also wasted alot of time and money because of these. So at that I`ll get my virtual coat an dissapear. Now I have a buss pass for work...no joke. The van is just for fishing and camping, it`ll be lucky to do 2,000 miles this year. thats how its made me feel about driving for now. safe driving all..

Last Post as this is history now. St Andrews probably are good. My experience was the worst. I must be unlucky. Never at anytime was this my fault, and well as I `m saying It`s resolved yes, its resloved. I`m not happy though. Fatbob, you seem to me to be an example of dealership loyalty or you have a vested interest , as everyone else has been helpful, or just passed comment you ....pointed blame at me. SAFE DRIVING ALL FOR LIFE....To those who had a friendly bit of advice or just a comment on thier experience thankyou:thumbup: Peace out.

:confused: Now I go thro this site / thread etc FATBOB you must have an interest in the reputation of this dealership surely?, they gave me some headache. RAC condemned a vehicle they demanded was "fine", FACT They did not even have a 4 wheel tracking machine , FACT I had nothing but good service after the RAC report FACT prior to that ....they told stories to get a lemon off thier forecourt. FACT You then waded in with....Your mistake and your taking it out on them.....WHAT??? I didnt break the car, I barely ever had more than a month max at a time. They just could not deliver a car with out warning lights and / or grinding/crunching noises from it, off thier forecourt. This is my fault? How come ? explain fatboab, er sorry bob.:confused: The reason for wanting a van now, is I`m so put off buying cars, by the Fabia and St Andrews. The transit just made more rattle noises as it got older never stopped once. Which would you lean towards after my experience Oh wise one???

Fat boab, to say that this is my fault and I`m taking a wrong descision because all I wanted was a van, by keeping one car and selling two others(inc van)...your wording, "your mistake and your taking it out on them..is utter rubbish,crap and an insult to the hassle and comments made on previous posts about my Mrs. How would you like to go to a funeral of your mrs`s pal and then have the garage who are giving you both hassle ...tell you to hurry up we close soon as you are driving down. Bet my annual salary that it would upset you too. As would "your mistake and your taking it out on them" that car was a LEMON, they could have resolved the matter much more quickly by telling the truth(about thier so called ""technicians report"") they could never let me see this on paper or what date or the technician name...because it did not exist. RAC condemned the vehicle in less than two minutes. :eek: :confused: I worked in Customer service for many years and I know what good service is. Perhaps you should read the whole thread sunshine, see all those breakdowns and all the times I picked up a car from them "fixed" with warning lamps like a christmas tree when I turned they key outside thier establishment. They wasted my time,money and caused alot of stress when it wasnt needed. So your cheeky ignorant comment made me quite angry indeed but I guess that I should`nt rise to ignorance. he`s there because thats how I feel. so`s he badger badger badger

I reckon anyone who posts good things here has to declare that they have no interest in this dealership. I think they are .......BAD anything else I`m personally thinking cannot be posted on a forum. *****, timewasters, lacking in technical knowledge, ignorant, poor customer service and in fact I`m making a mission to never ever pass a good word about these *****. Boys at the service desk were ok , felt sorry for them as they were caught in the cross fire between me and the service manager SANDY. He was the most ************ my mrs have ever met, she said. I`d agree too. Goodbye St Andrews please dont tell anyone else to hurry we close soon on thier umpteenth breakdown return in a car the RAC confirm as un servicable. It cost someone thier life. Safe driving all.

If I was truly honest I`d agree, If you dont own a local taxi firm. DO NOT GO TO ST ANDREWS. Now I have cooled down a bit I can tell the story I couldnt before. My Mrs`s best friend`s little bro got killed by a speeding motorist not so long ago, yet one of the last nights whilst calling ST ANDREWS to advise we may be a couple of minutes past thier 6pm close time, to return the car for its about 9th- 10th time, They advised "OH you better hurry up we close at 6" they said this to my Mrs. :eek: I actually nearly lost control that night and drove the stupid machine right thro thier showroom window. "Oh you better hurry up ...." after all the sh** they put us thro AND to a woman who had to go the funeral of a young man she knew well thro "hurrying up on the road". This is even while thier "hold music" on thier phone advises that if your coming to buy a car we`ll even stay open late for you........whilst you wait on being put thro to the poor lads at the service desk. At one point he even suggested that the car would only fetch

Well, they resolved the whole issue by offering what amounts to a decent value for the car, NOT a decent figure considering what we were put through , remember this man lied to me on more than one occaision. However the settlement figure was enough to go, get a van and borrow some more to get it looking good. Had the fabia worked ok we would not be borrowing more money from the bank,. So I`m as happy a customer as you get with them. Just happy to get away from the place and never ever return. It wasnt the car who was telling lies nor was it the car`s fault it was never inspected by a "SKODA TECHNICIAN" So despite what I`d like Ive got to say we got a bit of a run around from St Andrews. Now got a metallic blue vito 1999 2.2l CDTi 104ps mmmm, goes in a straight line and goes quick too. CD player, ABS ETC all the things the Skoda had but working this time, yet has 99,000 on the clock.

Cheers all and safest driving to ya all.....

Well in that case the offer made by the service manager @ St Andrews is 3250. I`m ok with this except that we had to fork out

Ah I kinda thought that it would be around that sort of figure. Just need to pop a bank loan so I can afford a new vehicle.

1.4 16v saloon version of fabia, silver ABS,ASR, elec windows, cassette player/radio and new floor mats never smoked in etc 52 plate, 45,000miles. Full service history(dealership). Question/ if it were not for its colourful history(breakdowns not crashed)...How much would it sell for (private) if in immaculate condition as per RAC report??

Enthusiasts? Are you sure? I wonder if anyone from that dealership has lost any enthusiasm they had. I certainly have lost all enthusiasm in owning and driving a car. Transit van here I come. Just need to know how much its worth.

I too have this issue I believe, (2002 model 16v) However it did`nt until it came back from a series of repairs to what feels like most of the rest the car. Its still dreadful to drive and th RAC "condemned" it. unservicable on road test due to "misalignment of steering wheel, and also tracking. ( which has been tried many times with varying degrees of results leading to new 2 new wheels ) However as most of the rest of the car has broken down at sometime or other so I reckon the steering is the last straw for mine......

Righto, better post an update on this mad fiasco, RAC inspection paperwork came in post yesterday, I called up St Andrews and advised of it`s content....On paper it advised " steering" "coolant loss" and "final road test all got an "x" unservicable, Steering wheel needs to come off and be realigned during tracking, something I dont think they can do. They have no 4 wheel tracker? ( thier words ). I said "fix it fix it fix it"...... So I could have the RAC inspection re-done..polish it up,new tyres, two replaced rims,.....off to e bay. whilst it all works. They have however made a solid commmit to try to repair(coolant right thro to the dodgy leccy window switch).......I`d say thier trying a lot harder. However, I dont feel comfy at all posting the rest of any conversation had down there now...they are doing much better but keep managing to get me fairly upset, is all I can say just now. The manager is very much looking to swap vehicle...Only thing is we`re looking to buy something totally different. Summary...I used to enjoy driving, you know any excuse to get in the old VW Golf tdi and just go somewhere (far) now I hate everything about driving this car and its ruined all this years driving fun (and a load of fishing too). ...Any guess what they`ll do...1/refund??? (unlikely ;-) 2/ swap it for something whilst they are still pocketing a few hundred or more quid he he 3/ offer market value and auction it??? 4/fix it? 5/? PS anyone who lost the will to live thro reading all this, I`m sorry and well, you deserved a better death.

Me too.......!!!! This is well known site, if not the site for Skoda fans, It was this site that made me decide to chose Skoda and in particular "St Andrews"!!! Anyways, I actually took the car to a National Tyres and Exhausts place, as mentioned earlier. Those lads know customer service!!!!! they worked late on my car alone, even although they should have been heading home they took off all wheels balanced them and put the new rim on, hammered the spare into shape(perfectly) re balanced that, re tracked the car. Then they hung about whilst I went out and drove it to see if it was any better!!!!! these lads should have been home eating thier dinner!!!!Instead they are waiting for me to drive a few miles and come back and report what is happening. I ended up with the place shuttered down except for my little fabia and both mechanics working hard on it whilst dishing out orders to the younger trainee types. RESULT!!!! car goes in a straight line, little or no vibration. But the steering wheel does need to be held a little to the left, Hardest part was trying to pay National. They just did not seem to want any money as I had a tracking job done previous when fitting a new tyre. That car had been put on the ramp and tracked no less than 4 times in a couple of days I have paid for one!!!!!! All that is left is to see if St Andrews can make me feel this way......ie like a customer should!!!!! fingers crossed. Thanks all for listening in and all advice and cheer ups. All the best and safe driving to you all.

OK so the RAC man was just out and he confirmed the car is drifting into the offside(right). He pointed out that the front wheel nearside was buckled and that was likely to be cause of not being able to get the tracking sorted for any length of time, this also goes with the subtle vinbrations i feel thro` the steering wheel. Also he advised the steering wheel is needing centred via the spline nut beneath it. He reckons the wheel that has a bend in the hub is THE issue and to replace it get the tracking done and if the steering wheel is not sorted then get adjusted after the tracking, currently it needs to be about 3 degrees to the left to go straight. RAC man advises car is in good shape once wheel is changed(spare is worse apparently.) All this still makes me think there could well be a bend in the rack?? So I`m off to get a wheel from a breaker, and another from Skoda to replace the spare and nearside, get it tracked and then hopefully all will be well, when SKoda re -align the steering wheel it should be as good as new. IMPORTANT BIT.....St Andrews have called , I explained the RAC`s verdict they then advised they will do the steering wheel, and have a chat about how I feel about the service I have recieved. Sounds like they are going to listen and possibly try to do something to make me feel like I got the service you would EXPECT from a dealer like them. So its looking like its getting fixed and there is a possibility of getting something towards the cost of RAC inspection. Fingers crossed as I hate being a moaner. (believe it or not!!) cheers folks and if this is the resolution, I shall be quick to post how I was treated by the service manager at St Andrews (hopefully good stuff!!). They do have a reputation for being a good dealer, hence why I have felt so let down by them..... here goes I`m off to the breakers to see if this wheel is gonna do the trick. I`ll keep this all up to date if anyone has any other input or idea`s I`m extremely grateful for any input. Cheers All. simon

Ah see we paid up front with a big cheque??? I assumed this means its mine like it or not...ie the statutory rights of 14 days to return anything bought is well past. I used to drive cars that had almost recieved thier "queenie postcard", they broke down less than this bad thing. I think the advice and damn good sense of humour(Skodayouth) is just what me and my Mrs needed... Again thanks, I knew this would be the place for sensible advice. I`ll let you` all know what the RAC man says...probably exactly what Briskodian thinks....sell it. What a shame it looks great ( er does this mean I`m a bit wierd?) Did I mention the passenger side electric window is broken too, switch that is as it can be lowered from drivers side switch, happened on my home from picking it up after todays news from the dealer...just what I needed. Point still is... there is definately a bad atmosphere in this dealership and I cannot wait until this is over and I dont have to sit and have a battle of null/dull and void words with some car salesman. I said lemon ...he said "we`ll it is a bit oddball" today he even advised "its over between me and you" I think he thought we were lovers. If only I`d got a good one. (car that is, my mrs is wonderful thanks) cheered me up no end folks..just need to think about what to get next, once I`ve done the filthy deed of selling it on to some poor person.

Briskodian, I know this is what I have to do but I`m an honest bloke and tell rubbish lies!!!! this things gonna be hard for me to sell, yet it looks great, immaculate in fact....offers??? Seriously, deep inside I know this is what the dealer wants and what I`m gonna be forced to do. Some poor bugger is gonna be buying a nightmare from me.....but no-one will want a car that does not go in a straight line. Have V.A.G dropped thier qaulity on engine builds in the last few years? Harsh truth is E-bay looks like the answer.

Sorry bout the caps lock thing but today was the last straw. Yes the warranty was bought with the car. Is 9 breakdowns and steering faults that don`t seem to be acknowledged, all in less than one year the norm for a Fabia??? I used to drive a VW Golf tdi 1.9 all it needed was servicing, tyres etc none of this hassle at all. As for the fault code for the "software update" the screen prints I have show none. As for the four wheel alignment , fortunately I`m quite familiar with a branch manager of National Tyres and Exhausts they have a four wheel laser tracker alignment device and they cannot get it to settle. three times we tried today test driven after each time and they gave up saying there may be a fault with the rack. Kwik-Fit also advised this after checking tracking twice. Folks thanks for the replies, it`s very much appreciated. I have come here to moan as I came here for a browse when selling the Golf, looking for a new car and there was good info on here. So I have caps locked and bolded my cry for help. I`m not the sort of chap who is gonna sell this dodgy car on e-bay knowing its not right. RAC arrive tomorow to do a ten-mile test drive and visual inspection. (£168.00) if the RAC agree with me, St Andrews will consider looking at the rack. Still not great customer service tho??? Again thanks folks it`s appreciated hugely. simon.

Oh did I mention that the service manager was really trying my patience talking to me about utter crap "oh its your tread depth thats whats dragging the car to the right. this excuse was used after I`d given him £240 for an INSPECTION SERVICE" never ever again will I buy anything from "StAndrews" or Skoda until someone treats me like a customer.

I`m sorry to hear it sounds like you have a similar problem to me, it just wont drive straight at all. Service manager at dealership thinks it`s ok to drive about like I`m drunk or something as i`m all over the road over-compensating for loose and innaccurate steering, mostly and frightenly pulling into the right, against the camber too!!! good luck mate!! I hope yours gets fixed, think I`ll have to set mine on fire......as no-one wants to help....even if I offer cash they dont want to know????? NEVER EVER WILL I BUY ANY NEW IE POST 2002 OR SO V.A.G CAR.

Hello all, please please will someone offer us some advice , We bought a second hand Fabia from St Andrews Skoda (Glasgow) it had about 30,000 miles and one previous owner. OK HERE WE GO....... 1/ WITHIN 2 MONTHS THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT LIGHT WENT ON AND YET WE WERE ADVISED IT WAS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE IT NEEDED, is this why I had to travel to the dealership just so I can update the cars computer?......unlikely. 2/ AT 35,000 The SUSPENSION FAILED being that the Anti-roll bar had snapped on the off side. 3/Now we are at 40,000 miles and the service is due (