Scotjimland

Totally agree with you , and if I encounter any issues will surely post .. With the Tow-Trust tow bar I had fitted, the Proactive Occupant Protection System would activate often, in a short drive of 8 miles I counted about 8 activations.. impossible to put up with on a long drive.. so I had little option, fit the Skoda bar or sell the car .. not an option I wanted as it would lost more , a lot more than fitting the Skoda bar. The Skoda coding only works with the Skoda tow-bar model , it wont talk to third part module .. and since they own the software there is no other option .. believe you me, I have had countless emails and phone calls to Skoda customer support.. and while they were understanding, could offer no other solution than fit the OEM bar .. good luck and I hope you get a resolution

I can now happily report that the Skoda OEM towbar works perfectly I had a 15 mile drive this morning on local narrow twisting roads and it behaved immaculately .. When you start the engine it alerts you that side lane assistance and rear protection has been switched off It also corrects the speed limit alert down 10mph on 60mph roads .. When you use the turn indicator it displays a small green light indicating that the caravan flasher is working ,. It took the dealer four days to fit, why I don't know probably because there were very busy and it was a lot of work fitting .. and the coding took a long time The reason the coding wont work with a third party module is it has to communicate with the Skoda towing module in the boot It works by pressing a switch in the boot and it drops down, then a simply pull and it locks down .. same procedure when hiding it... flick the switch then a gently push up with your foot and it locks into place To say we are highly delighted and also relived that we can now go on holiday in two weeks time .. Final price , including the courtesy car was £1,300

I certainly will..

having it fitted on this coming Monday , will report back as soon as I've road tested ..

will do.. still waiting for fitting date ..

At last, a n offer from Skoda customer services that I've accepted .. 21 April 2026 Skoda Customer Services have a applied a "goodwill gesture' offering me £600 off the cost of a Skoda fitted towbar, coding and electrics.. .. the balance to pay is now £1390 .. which in effect refunds me the cost of my third party towbar that will be removed ..

Update after some discussion and wrangling with the dealer , I have come to the end of the line.. and the only way forward was to have my Indespension bar removed and a Skoda bar and associated electrics and coding fitted by the them ..they were not able to do coding for a third party system . dealer email .... Quote: to supply and fit the Skoda Approved towbar , which has become available to order in the last few weeks. The cost of the supply and fit is £1990 inc VAT . We would do this for you at £1600 Inc VAT Unquote I could have gone down the legal route as I think they should have done more, but this could have ended up a long drawn out and perhaps expensive battle with no guarantee of winning against VAG .. we are the small guys trying to beat a giant ,,

thats what I may have to do ... only option now is to fork out for a Skoda bar.. I hope I can negotiate a reduction as it was the dealer who told me to have it fitted by Indespension

More bad news ... Skoda will not , I repeat.. NOT supply just the wiring kit or the coding .. you MUST buy the complete towbar kit and have it fitted by the dealer.. thick end of £2k

Update According to my Skoda dealer, towbar kits and coding have been release by Skoda. After a long discussion and wrangling, my car is going into the Skoda dealer's workshop for coding and if necessary, a Skoda wiring kit . . Do not have a price yet, I am trying to have it done FOC .. but whether it is free or not I must have it done .. .------------------------------- If anyones interested .. a Skoda towbar , mechanically folding one (that would be where you’d release it by hand to fold away and out), fully supplied and fitted, you are looking at £1879.62.

when I bought the car I asked about having a Skoda bar fitted but dealer didn't fit them and advised to go to an independent towbar company, which I did .. now being told by Skoda that is the issue .. in my view this is passing the buck and not addressing or acknowledging it's a Skoda software problem... this is their latest email.. I have replied saying tell me where to go to have the electrics re done by Skoda.. If not resolved I will be seeking legal advice and speaking to the Motor Trade Ombudsman Following your response, I have been in contact with the Service Department at Bristos Škoda Ipswich and spoke directly with Chris to establish what actions have been taken on their side. I was advised that the retailer has carried out the relevant instructions provided for coding Škoda-supplied tow bars; however, these instructions were not compatible with the aftermarket tow bar fitted to your vehicle. Unfortunately, I was also informed that Škoda Technical Support is unable to provide further assistance in this instance, as the tow bar fitted is not a genuine approved Škoda part. As a result, the retailer is currently unable to progress repairs further at dealership level. Given the above information and the ongoing nature of the concern, I would like to confirm that your case has now been escalated to our dedicated Customer Relations Management (CRM) Team for further review.

Latest replay from Skoda Customer care .. we shall see what transpires >>> Dear James Thank you for your response and for clearly outlining your ongoing concerns. I do understand your position and appreciate that the matter cannot be considered resolved while you remain unable to tow without the Proactive Passenger Protection System activating, and I acknowledge your comments regarding the vehicle being unfit for purpose until this is addressed. I would like to confirm that I have since contacted Chris at Bristo's Škoda Ipswich, as advised. Chris has confirmed that he is in direct contact with yourself regarding this matter. At present, he has advised that the vehicle has not yet been booked in for full diagnostics to investigate the towing concern. Chris has also made me aware that he is currently liaising with his Parts Department for further assistance and guidance. Once the necessary arrangements have been made on their side, he has confirmed that he will be in touch with you directly to arrange a booking for the vehicle to be fully diagnosed. At this stage, as the vehicle has not yet been booked in, there is unfortunately very little further assistance I am able to provide until diagnostic work has been carried out. However, once the vehicle has been seen by the retailer and further information is available, I will of course be in a position to review and support the matter further as needed. Please rest assured I will remain available should you require any additional support once the next steps are confirmed. Kind regards Samantha Joseph Customer Relations Manager T: 03330 037 504 E: [email protected] Škoda UK Yeomans Drive Blakelands Milton Keynes

I have also contacted Skoda who sent instructions to the dealer.. Now home from the dealer who said the coding didn't work , car wouldn't accept it but to try switching off the lane assist.. and trying the caravan ... done that and the problem has not been resolved.. you may get used to seat belt tightening , but it's very uncomfortable . but having the four way flashers also switching on must be disconcerting, and maybe even dangerous for a following car .. I have informed the dealer who said will contact Skoda customer care again.. and I have also emailed them ... I don't hold out much hope..

I will be having a chat with the Skoda service manager tomorrow and report back what he says .

Reply From Skoda Customer services ... I hope this email finds you well. Thank you for contacting Škoda UK, and congratulations on your new vehicle. I hope you are enjoying it so far, and I wish you many happy and safe miles ahead. I am sorry to hear about the issue you are currently experiencing when towing, particularly with the Proactive Occupant Protection System activating intermittently, which I fully appreciate can be both concerning and disruptive when the seat belts tension and hazard lights activate unexpectedly. Based on the information you have provided, it appears that the towbar and electrical kit were retro?fitted by a third?party provider (Indespension, Ipswich). In situations such as this, the vehicle does typically require coding/adaptation so that it correctly recognises when a trailer is connected. While Škoda retailers are able to code vehicles for towing, this is normally carried out when a towbar is: Supplied and fitted by a Škoda?Approved Retailer, or Supplied and fitted as part of a Factory ordered vehicle If the towbar installation was arranged by the selling retailer at the time of purchase, we would recommend contacting the Sales Department directly so that they can make the necessary arrangements on your behalf. If the towbar was independently fitted after delivery, we would recommend contacting your local Škoda Authorised Retailer to discuss whether coding can be completed with their Service Department, to ensure they have the correct equipment to have this carried out for you. Our retailers have the technical knowledge and experience needed to resolve issues like this, so they’ll be able to assist you most effectively. I hope this provides some clarity, I appreciate it may not be the outcome you were hoping for. Please do let me know if you would like assistance locating your nearest Škoda Retailer or if there is anything further I can help with. Kind regards

further research on the system, my understanding is, that it detects unusually car movements.. ie skid, or motion that could lead to an accident.. which makes the seat belts tighten it also closes the windows and flashes the four way indicators.. so it is activated by a motion detector, not a reversing or other body sensor ..hence the apparently random activation which is probably caused by the caravan pulling or pitching especially on uneven road surfaces.. which is what I noticed.

update ..spoken to Indespension, the towbar company who fitted the bar but they cant really help other than to say they hadn't had this issue before .. and said I should contact Skoda for advice Have now emailed Skoda asking for advice or information about the coding will post when I've had an answer

Hi I have also recently bought a Superb Hatchback technology 2025 , and have the same issue with the passenger protection activating randomly .. it can be quite disconcerting ,, to say the least after market tow bar fitted by Indespension, reading above it looks like the only solution is having it recoded when Skoda release the code ..

Also had a TowTrust detachable tow bar fitted by Indespension Ipswich .. not had a chance to try it out yet so can't comment on any software issues. I enquired about he software update and told when it is availably athey would update free of charge. Very pleased with the work, they used the Skoda 'tow bar ready' socket and factory wiring kit.. Such an easy job to attach and detach the tow ball., and the 13 pin socket is hidden and swings down when required. .. nice bit of kit

Nextbase.. no problems. USB cable.. right angle ends, 20cm length, USB C - USB Mini ..

that is what they said... correct ..

email... from Škoda UK Dear James Thank you for contacting Škoda UK, it was a pleasure speaking to you today. Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the cambelt interval changes on your vehicle. There is no service interval at all for the cambelt on your vehicle, with 'fitted for life' items that can be considered as 15 years or 180,000 miles. Please find attached the service history for the vehicle as requested. The information on the certificate is provided by our network of Approved Škoda Retailers and is correct to the best of our knowledge. Thank you for contacting Škoda UK. Kind regards

I have a Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI Se and called Skoda Service today and they confirmed , 15years or 150,00 km .. am waiting for email to have this in writing ..

from an online manual .. Unlocking– Open the boot lid and remove the right inner paneling.– Pull on the control cable in direction of arrow in order to unlock the⇒ page 157, fig.fuel filler flap

sadly, i'm having no luck with any of the above links.. resigned ti using my old Garmin sat nav for my third party POIs .. that's even sadder