Peter1962

Thanks for your time and advice

This is what I was told by the Skoda dealer I was working with - although they originally thought it was possible at over £1600 they then came back with this...... " I am terribly sorry after checking with management and other staff members to confirm, The car can not be fitted with a towbar as the car was not homologated at the factory when being constructed. We would not be able to fit the towbar and fitting one to the car would void any warranty on the vehicle."

My application was only for a bike carrier too but that doesn't prevent any next owner using it for another reason if they saw the towbar fitted. It was a subject of debate amongst 3rd party fitters I contacted - warranty issues, if something doesn't work with coding then who's responsible.and most of all insurers. It's a minefield. Although the chances are it will be fitted fine of ever there was a bump and a claim then I'm sure insurance would have something to say. For me it wasn't worth the risk and in the end it's the car owner's responsibility. I'm sure all manner of things could be fitted to a car but not all legal. I hope Skoda and VAG come up with a fix but I also think VIN plates can't be changed.

On the previous generation model I now have, yes it does. I would have preferred the current model but it was a showstopper for me not to be able to have the towbar or the ability to fit one later. I guess I could have ordered a new one but I prefer to buy cars a few months old and save a bit with a quick delivery, of course. I'm sure a lot of current owners are pretty p***ed off when they discover this. One Skoda dealer told.me that I'd be amazed how many Kodiaq owners had come back looking for a towbar fitting only to be told it wasn't possible unless prep had been factory specified.

Exactly that. It sounds incredulous but that's correct. In my own case I eventually bought the last of the previous series and managed a deal to include the towbar. I think Skoda ( VAG ) group have made a massive error in not including this £150 option for towbar prep - it's tucked away on the brochure and price list. All dealers should include this whatever options the original buyer ticks. More and more people are taking up bikes and electric bikes in particular will become more popular as prices drop and fuel costs rise - it really isn't practical to lift a 25kg plus electric bike on to a roof carrier. Let's hope common sense prevails. Thanks for an interesting thread all.

Hi all, I've bought a velvet red Octavia estate, 2.0SEL, pan roof, dsg, black leather. It's great - don't know why I haven't had one before. Since buying it I've been searching around for items that might brighten up the otherwise all black interior. I can see window switch covers in carbon fibre look or aluminium, for example, but only for LHD cars. A bit of chrome trim here and there would help, I contacted a wrapping company this week to see what they could offer - an ongoing enquiry. I'm surprised I'm struggling but if anyone can point me in the right direction to a selection for the facelifted mk 3 I'd be grateful. Many thanks for the help,

Maybe I've been spoiled too, just sold a V90!

Hi all, I've just been for a test drive in 1.5tsi sel fe, 12 months old, less than 3000 miles and had difficulty with gears. Test drove another 1.0 to compare and it was much better. It was suggested there's a gear linkage recall but not sure that was a quick, off the cuff comment. HAs anyone heard of a simple fix or is it always a new gearbox. The car was lovely otherwise, remain undecided because of this gear box thing

Thank you, I'm sure there's more to come on this topic yet.

Thanks for the tip 👍. An update on this is since posting my question I raised the issue of the Vin plate stating 0kg and have now been told that a towbar cannot be retrofitted. It also seems bogged down in legal matters and type approval. This is quite unbelievable and a real mistake on the part of Skoda. I'm sure it will be rectified on later version but buyer beware on these early mark 4 models. There are very few newish Skodas on autotrader at the moment with "towbar preparation". It may not be possible to retrofit fit others and satisfy legal requirements and your insurer ( who will no doubt point to the 0kg rating to squeeze out of any claim ). I'm looking at alternatives to hang bikes off the rear door - although in my case I have two electric bikes which together weigh near 50kg. I love the Octavia on offer, it's brilliant, but this whole thing may be a showstopper. Maybe I'll spec a new car 👍

Hello, new to this forum as I'm about to buy an impressive Octavia first edition estate 1.5. However, a potential show stopper is being quoted £1625.00 to retrofit a Skoda electric pop out towbar !!!!! How much ???? I've read about 0kg rated tow data on the VIn plate and also prices around £800 - £1000. Am I paying for Skoda's error in not thinking this through ? Anyone offer any advice as at that price I don't think the dealer wants to do it. I'd like to think Skoda would offer something towards that cost. Its just madness. Thanks for any comments.

So I've just read all six pages on this topic as im about to buy a forest edition 1.5 estate. What a nightmare! The reason for reading is that the potential supplying Skoda dealer is asking £1625 to retrofit the towbar. At first I thought he may have the numbers in the wrong order and missed a decimal point but it's checked and that's the price. Probably a showstopper but I rather feel I'm paying for Skoda's error on not thinking through this simple add on accessory. Anyone seen anything similar? Madness