Broadriding

Bad news, I’m afraid. The car has been in the dealers all week as the auto hold has started playing up again big style. The resistance stopping me moving off after activation is unreal. The last time the dealer had the car they cured the issue with a software update but now things are even worse. The dealer has been very supportive, as ever, but they have tried two more updates which, to repeat their words, have made the issue worse! They have contacted Skoda UK who have told them to replace some parts. Let’s see how it behaves when I get it back next week. For what its worth, whilst checking the car in I also asked them to register these additional issues: My Iphone fails to connect automatically at least one in four times. The Satnav only displays grid references and no street addresses after inputting a destination. Why couldn’t they stick to the version in Mark 3 which was great? I have music on an SD card in one of the USB-C slots under the dash. On start up sometimes you hear music from the SD card and sometimes through Apple Play. It seems to choose at random. The voice activation system kicks in for no reason and, even more irritatingly, when just chatting or singing along to a song in the car! Not great, I’m sure you’ll agree. It is particularly galling as I only have this car as I rejected the last one for chronic kangarooing issues and was given this as a replacement. And it costs me more on a lease than the last one did!

At last, an update! The car has been back to the dealers and I am pleased to say that they found faults on both the headlights and the auto hold, the latter with a fault logged in the car's memory. The dealers have been great and very professional. They have replaced the ONS headlight unit completely (manufacturing fault) and have corrected the logged fault on the auto hold. This seems much as it should be now but I will have to wait for a nighttime drive to check on the lights. This may be some way off whilst lockdown persists - I collected the car in the third week in September and have only covered 720 miles so far! Anyway, thanks for the comments and advice.

Thanks for the feedback so far. Just to be clear, does the rear of your cars groan alarmingly before releasing the brakes using auto hold? That’s the bit I find unsettling. It almost feels like the car is very reluctant to let go! If people tell me they don’t experience this sensation and noise I will have to go back to the dealer with the problem.

Hi everyone. Two issues to raise today with regard to my new Octavia Mk IV manual 1.5TSI Technology estate. But before I do, I have to say the car is a dream to drive and is clearly a major upgrade in terms of quality on the Mk 3. However....... My new car is fitted with LED lights which to my mind are really poor. I do appreciate that I am coming to the car from a Mk3 VRS with Zenons, but I find the new car's lights so poor I am becoming a bit hesitant to go out at night, particularly on unlit country roads. Sorry, that last bit was a bit of a joke, but seriously they really are not good. Or is it me? I would appreciate views from other Mk IV owners with the same lights. If it is just me I may ask the dealership to take a look at them. The second issue is the damned Auto-hold/electronic handbrake. I really liked the fact that the Mk3 had a traditional handbrake so was a bit put out when I got in the new car and found these electronic thingies. I have driven lots of cars with this set-up before but have always found them a pain, particularly when attempting a hill start. Auto-hold activated, I come to stop on a hill, say at some traffic lights, (praying the car behind doesn't get too close!) and the car holds even with my foot off the footbrake. So far so good. The lights change, I press the accelerator/let out the clutch to move off and the rear of the car groans and moans like mad, resisting any attempt at forward motion until it releases and very very reluctantly moves off. Surely this can't be right? Heaven knows what repeated episodes of this are going to do to the clutch and braking systems and I can feel my blood pressure rising every time I know a hill start is in sight. You can't spend all your time and energy avoiding hills, can you? Again, I would appreciate the views of some other owners.

Hi. I am new to this forum having read many a post already as a guest. I am now on my 3rd Octavia, this time a Mark iV 1.5TSI Technology estate. I appreciate the advice given in this forum and am currently getting used to the car, technology and all! The car is a dream to drive but, I have to say, the technology is a bit over the top and, in some cases, not really fit for purpose. I will be interested to read the views of other new Octavia owners over the next few months as I try to get to grips with the car, crazy foibles and all. As I say, the car is great but I kind of get the impression that a few aspects of the new model were not tested sufficiently or not tweaked sufficiently for the UK market. I may of course change this view as I get more accustomed to the car. Finally, Christmas greetings to all forum members. 2021 has got to be a better year, hasn't it?