Keithchesterfield1

When I first posted this thread I had been to the Dealer with concerns about a 'knocking' noise and they loaned me a courtesy car for the day, apparently did a test run and physical examination and later that day rang me to say that 'bushes' needed replacing. They didn't have any in stock, would order them and rearrange a new date for replacing them. That day was today. The noise had been heard by me and my wife, who also drives the car, time after time in the intervening three weeks but not every time we went out. I don't know if the weather or temperature affects anything but it was an intermittent noise. When we took the Fabia in this morning the Service guy suggested I have a test run with one of their mechanics. They apparently had a test run, without me present, on the car's first visit and diagnosed 'bushes' as requiring replacement but now asked for another test drive. As I drove I heard the noise once but it certainly wasn't as bad as it had been on other days. They loaned me a car and said it would probably take two days to do the work. Mid afternoon they rang to say they couldn't find anything wrong with the car and, other than doing some greasing, had not changed or altered anything. The car was ready to collect. So how did a car that apparently needed new bushes a few weeks ago miraculously repair itself ? The Service guy replied, after I pointed out the anomaly of his staff diagnosing a problem and being mended by itself, that as they had decreed the car perfectly okay and road legal then that was the end of the matter. If it made a knocking noise before the warranty runs out, he said, then bring it back and they will investigate further. So I've spent two days riding round in a courtesy car, time taking and fetching the car from the Dealers, and now find my bushes aren't whacked. I did point out that the likelihood of them seeing me and requiring their services after the warranty runs out are negligible he said “That's your prerogative, Sir” I'm glad the car is deemed okay but dubious that I won't hear the knocking noise in the future – time will tell. Thank you for reading – rant over and I feel a bit better now …......

I wasn't trying to compare the mechanics of the two Fabia as being like for like but just commenting on the reliability, or not, of each one. The Estate did around 50,000 miles without even a bulb going, rattle or any type of problems in the time we had it. This Fabia has, beside a seatbelt problem which was our fault, the 'bushes' needing replacing at 14,000 miles and my hope of a totally trouble free ownership and many more years of worry free motoring dispersed. Perhaps this will be the only hiccup with a usually reliable make of car but after seeing that others think the bushes problem may rear up again then I become a little wary. As I said earlier the last time I had front end problems was way back in time with a Minivan when people with red flags walked in front to scare the horses away – and that's despite having Renaults for over thirty years …...... Although one Megane did break down with 150,000 miles on the clock – that's why I moved to Skoda.

Thanks for the response. I don't know which bushes - Receptionist said 'bushes' and no more - will ask which ones next week if I get chance - booked in for Dec 5th Not a jot of a problem with my previous car - Fabia Estate with around 50,000 miles when I swapped for this smaller car

In the last few weeks I've heard a disturbing knocking noise when driving around town - usually on uneven roads caused by the roads being dug up and re-laid in not the same flat condition as they were supposed to be. I took the car to the Skoda dealer and they diagnosed that the 'bushes' need replacing which they will do under warranty. The car is less than three years old and only 14,000 miles on the clock - are the bushes a problem on this model or is this likely to just be a one off ? The last time I had front end problems that required renewal after only a few thousand miles was with a Minivan needing CV joints back in the 1960s - please don't tell me it's back to the 'good old days' with Skoda ........ I have a Fabia Colour Edition MP1 2016.

They rang me during yesterday afternoon and when I picked it up the rear seat belt had been replaced and now works as it should. The only reply to my enquiry as to the problem they had encountered when taking out the 'old' seat belt was ' the threads were removed from the bolt'. That's the best I could get from them, remember it was under warranty, and it didn't cost me anything. A very nice Lady phoned me today from Skoda to ask what I thought of my experience of the service they had provided while they had the car in for repair - on a scale of one Star to five Stars. I didn't give a rating but I think she got the gist of my opinion of the service provided and I wait in anticipation of some 'goodies' being sent between now and Christmas by Skoda to calm me down. Thanks for your interest in my Skoda issue.

Sorry for the delay but Main Dealers rarely rush these things. First they had to ascertain if there was a problem - yes, there was. It needed to be replaced under warranty. Booked in last Friday for a full day for the repair - in at 0830 - to be notified on completion. They rang at about 1600 to say there was a 'problem' and a specialist engineering firm was required to sort out the 'problem'. Picked up courtesy car at 1700 Friday. Should be ready on Tuesday this week - they said. I wait with trepidation. To be continued ........

Did you ever get this problem sorted out, and if so, what did you have done to the seat belt ?

rum4mo - thoroughly agree, paperwork could be done before we arrive to collect but it never is with Main Dealers - that's why I avoid them if possible. I had some work done on my Ducato based Motorhome recently by a private Commercial garage and not only was it ready at the time they said, they picked me up from home and drove me to their garage and the paperwork was ready and waiting at the price they'd quoted. They want my business again - Main dealers don't give a fig.

I took it in to my Local Main dealer to have the water pump replaced on a Fabia Estate, it had a minor leak, under warranty. They had checked a week before that it needed replacing and presumably had the correct parts in stock when I took the car in seven days later. The car was delivered at 10 am as requested by them and the bonnet went up to begin the replacement about one hour later. Four hours later the water pump was fitted and the bonnet closed. An hour and a half later the car was parked up on their forecourt. Despite me phoning regularly to find out if the car was ready I was only told to come and collect three and a half hour later – yes, 3 and ½ hours. Finally I drove it home at 18.20 – almost half past six at night. A smidgen off eight and a half hours to change a water pump. And you wonder why I don't really want to go back to them ?

Thanks for those replies. I was thinking there might be a 'quick' fix but you are right - it's under warranty and it will be taken back to a Skoda dealer. I was hoping to avoid that - the last time I needed a warranty repair at the Dealer on an earlier Skoda Estate it took them two days to do a job that should have been completed in an hour or so. I've not much confidence in them but common sense had better prevail and I'll get it booked in. Again, thanks.

Thank you Gentlemen, I've tried the pulling the belt out fully and the level ground tips but still not had any joy with either. Inside the boot, on either side, is an oblong plastic cover below the moulded covering for the seat belt mechanism. Is it easy to remove the cover, as you know plastic breaks easily, and I don't want to force the covers ? I presume that once the cover is off it might be relatively easy to fiddle about with the seat belt mechanism and hopefully get it working again

After extending the seat belt fully, to secure a load when the back seat was down, it will not retract. Any advice on attempting to get it to go back and work correctly again would be appreciated Fabia Colour Edition MP1 2016

After extending the seat belt fully, to secure a load when the back seat was down, it will not retract. Any advice on attempting to get it to go back and work correctly again would be appreciated Fabia Colour Edition MP1 2016