Flatiron210

Thanks for responses all. Car was previously owned by an older chap but in the 6 years of its life before me it still racked up a decent yearly mileage. MOT history was checked before buying but nothing to do with brakes in there. Tyres are grand along with the rest of the car (the garage it's in with currently also did a broader 'health check') Main concern right now is likely being on the hook for replacement of all the brake units as the warranty will probably try and use the 'normal wear and tear' get-out clause. If I had more time I'd try at least some of it myself but unfortunately I am far far too busy and lack the proper tools to do a job of that magnitude. Silver lining from this mess is that the rest of the car is in good shape and, once the required work is done, should hopefully set the car up well for many more years on the road. And on a broader note, the whole experience has given me new impetus to keep educating myself on car ownership and, where possible, do jobs myself (eg wiper blades, changing air filter). I should hopefully have an update on Monday. (@Evolution13 - garage have confirmed that brake fluid was fine and not due till next year, though it'll be changed as part of the replacement work anyway)

Sorry for radio silence, been tied up trying to get it to a garage while keeping up with education. Garage have now done diagnostics on it, basically to say that the brake units are in very bad shape and require replacement (front and back). If that wasn't enough, one of the calibers at the front needs replacement due to heat damage after seizing on and the front shocks are leaking. It's worth pointing out that the car was bought in late August last year and a one-year used car warranty is also in effect. The state of the drums was pointed out at the time and we were assured that this was par for the course but clearly not. Part of the course was to have an MOT done with no advisories, but the impression I've got from friends and family who are far more experienced in dealing with cars (this is my first) is that the level of corrosion and damage on the braking system is far too advanced to have occurred within the time I've had the car. Quite why both front and rear have failed at the same time is beyond me but could be a case of efforts to get the front brake unstuck causing failure of the rear.

Brake fluid looks fine (quantity and colour), got the tyre off to tap the caliper and the front tyre seems to move alright. However, the process of doing that has led to the discovery that the rear drum brakes are also stuck. This unfortunately complicates things significantly and leads me to suspect that the stuck caliper was a symptom.

To answer questions- car doesn’t need recovery from where it is (except to a garage for repair if needed) car was not mine when previous services were scheduled so can’t speak on the brake fluid. Recovery tried to free the brake with spray but no joy. Will try the above later, I’d much rather limp it to a garage under its own steam if possible

Hey folks, wonder if anybody has ever experienced an issue like this with their Fabia. Important context: driven pretty much every day, mix of about-town, country roads and 2 stints on the motorway last week Went for a car wash on Saturday, all in order afterwards with brakes all working exactly as normal MOT’d in September with no advisories So I went to give it a quick once-over before a long drive on Monday which has now been postponed. As per the title, the brake pad has completely ‘locked on’ to the brake disc and the wheel will not turn. Recovery were in attendance just to see if it could be moved however no joy with a spray. Tried both in forwards and reverse with plenty of clutch + throttle, could feel the car ‘pitching down’ toward the front driver’s wheel Does anybody have any thoughts on maintenance actions to perform or experienced anything similar? Getting it to a garage in town under its own steam would be preferable as the geometry of the car park where it’s parked could make recovery… interesting shall we say.

Thanks, this has been very helpful! I’m glad I know exactly what to do now in case the fob dies 🙂

Hi everyone, just bought a 2019 Fabia and testing out everything to ensure it works properly. When opening the nearside passenger door with the key blade, the alarm sounded (I initially turned the key right, then left). Both key fobs are working fine so I was able to silence it immediately. My only question is, how would I silence the alarm without a working key fob (remember mine is a pushbutton start so I can’t insert the key blade anywhere) Any advice much appreciated!