CJJE

I have... and on the derestricted sections it can be terrifying seeing Transit vans flying passed you when you're doing a steady 100 mph. And when pulling out to overtake you need excellent eyesight to avoid having a Porsche or similar up your back end! Chris

Interesting that you rate the Cross Climate SUVs so highly. I've been relieved to find my factory-fit Bridgestone Duelers have coped with winter better than I feared, but will be switching to All-Seasons in the future. However I was a bit concerned to see that the CC SUVs were based on the old version of the CC+, while tyres for passenger cars have moved on to the Cross Climate 2s. However the size I need (225/45 R19) isn't available in them, and Michelins do seem a lot more expensive than Continentals etc. Chris

The DVLA have now issued a recall for this problem, but it now seems that for Skoda it only affects Octavias, Superbs and Kodiaqs and not Karoqs as Skoda themselves stated originally. Chris

The DVLA have now issued a recall notice for the UK (R/2022/075) for 1150 Octavias, Superbs, and Kodiaqs. Interestingly the Karoq is not included despite the earlier statement from Skoda. Reason for recall On affected vehicles engine compartment covers were fitted that regardless of use (very sporty driving style or poor road condition) and operating period could come loose from their attachment. How to check if the vehicle is recalled Contact the local SKODA dealership or manufacturer. You will not need to pay for anything involving the recall. How the manufacturer will repair On all affected vehicles the engine compartment cover has to be removed. Number of affected vehicles 1150

Hi Paul, I was just wondering how difficult it was to access the air filter on a Karoq, and if there was a guide somewhere to doing simple jobs like changing filters... But I see Haynes have an online autofix guide which may cover it. You may have heard that there is a VAG wide recall for cars with the 2.0TSI engine as the engine cover can come loose, overheat, and then catch fire (details at VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat: More than 111,000 cars at risk of fire - Car-Recalls.eu ) and the temporary cure is just to remove the engine cover until they can find the manufacturing capacity to provide a fireproof replacement. So I imagine this will make it easier to access the air filter!! Chris I'll take that last suggestion back as a U-Tube video suggests that the air filter holder is easily accessed anyway. So yes, it's definitely a job to do yourself Chris

Hi Warrior193 Having been brought up to gap sparkplugs every 5000 miles and replace every 10000 - and then deserting petrol engines for diesel for many years - it amazes me that VAG only change sparkplugs every 4 years too. A clogged up air filter will probably hit your fuel consumption, so it's a good idea to check it every few years and replace it earlier if required. I'm assuming it is a paper type which can't be cleaned instead. Chris

I looked at the 3 service deal too, but I'll be due for 2 pollen filters and 1 extended scope instead of the 2 extended scopes this provides. So I'm going to go for the 2 service deal. The pollen filter is behind the glovebox and filters pollen from the air entering the cabin - great for hay fever sufferers! But the air filter is under the bonnet and filters the air entering the engine. While the pollen filter is due to be changed every 2 years, the air filter is only due for a change every 6 years! Chris

Car-recalls.eu have published the following statement: Inadequate fastening of the engine cover can lead to contact with hot parts and, consequently, fire for more than 111,000 VW, Audi, Skoda, and Seat vehicles. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has been issuing warnings several days ago. According to its own information, the authority is aware of 16 cases of damage. The recall applies to owners of a VW Golf, Passat, Tiguan, T-Roc and Arteon, Audi Q3 and Audi TT, Cupra Ateca, Cupra Formentor and Cupra Leon, as well as Seat Tarraco of the 2020 to 2022 model years. Also affected, but not yet listed in the KBA database (*), are the Skoda Octavia, Superb, Karoq, and Kodiaq. A statement from Škoda Auto Czech Republic in response to our question can be found at the end of the article. Due to current production capacity constraints, replacing the cover with a new one is not possible. Therefore, the cover will only be removed during the first service visit in a few minutes. A second service visit will be required to retrofit it as soon as the authorised partner delivers the modified cover. The internal recall codes for each brand are as follows: “10H5” (VW), “10H6” (Skoda), “10H7” (Seat/Cupra) and “10H8” (Audi). Worldwide, more than 111,000 Volkswagen Group vehicles are affected by the recall. Just over half of these (58,100) are Wolfsburg models, of which 32,000 are registered in Germany, according to the KBA. The global figures for Seat/Cupra and Audi are 30,467 and 6,320, respectively. Skoda with 2.0 TSI evo engines only Car-Recalls.eu asked Pavel Jina, Spokesperson & PR Manager at SKODA AUTO Czech Republic, for his statement, and here is the answer: Skoda Auto is recalling customers with Skoda Octavia, Skoda Karoq, Skoda Kodiaq and Skoda Superb vehicles equipped with 2.0 TSI evo engines, manufactured from August 2020 to the present, to its authorised service centres. In certain circumstances, the engine cover may become loose and move closer to hot engine parts, which can cause thermal deformation and, in extreme cases, a fire in the engine compartment. The service technician will remove the cover during the operation. Due to current production capacity constraints, replacing the cover with a new one is not possible. As soon as the authorised partner delivers the engine cover, the customer is contacted and invited to retrofit it. * Update: As of today (30.03.2022) Škoda Octavia, Superb and Kodiaq are also listed in the KBA recall (reference number 011737)

I think the oil filter is changed with the oil, but spark plugs, brake fluid, DSG oil change, air-con service etc are all extras.

I had my first Oil Change & Inspection Service at Barlow Motors, Crewe for £185 last November, but have just had an email from them offering a 20% discount if I buy one before the 2nd of May. As my car is now over 1 year old, they seem to be offering me 2 services, (one pollen filter and one extended scope) for £364.80 or £15.20 per month. Buying the next 2 services separately, I would expect to pay around £220 in November 2022 for the Oil Change & Inspection Service + Pollen filter (but excluding the advisory AirCon Service) , and around £244 in November 2023 for the Oil Change & Inspection with Extended Scope. A total of £464 spread over 18 months. The AirCon service, Brake Fluid Change, and Haldex Oil Change would all be extras presumably either way. So yes, it's a £100 saving, and you either pay the cost upfront or commit to a regular monthly payment over the next 2 years). Chris

Battleship grey was designed to hide ships from view!!

Don't know if this helps, but with 4x4 Karoqs, the metal base of the boot has to be higher to clear the Haldex transmission, so there will be a difference in the depth of the boot. If a spacesaver spare is fitted, then the lift-up boot floor is presumably at the same height as in a Karoq fitted with a full size spare wheel. Chris

For anyone waiting for a new Karoq, this video shows the production line, and features the orange colour too! Chris

I've been a fan of sunroofs for many years, and have never noticed them being noisier than steel roofs. Like any sunroof there can be leaks if the drainage tubes become blocked, but again I've never had any problems in any of my cars. Chris

Just an update on the clock stopping when the ignition is turned off, even when you are still sitting in the car listening to the radio... Mine definitely did this when it had software version 0270, but it has since been updated to 0276 to solve other problems, and today I realised that the clock kept time when I had turned the ignition off and was listening to the radio! So a software upgrade seems to have cured this bug Chris

Yeh, it was my back that persuaded me to sell my Octavia and move to an MPV - the Golf Plus. Then when that was replaced by the Golf SV I found that equally comfortable to get in and out of. Now of course MPVs have largely died out and so the Karoq was the natural replacement as I prefer physical buttons to the touchscreen controls that VW's etc beancounters have decided are cheaper even if they're not as safe to use. Vhris

You'll find details about the Connect services at ŠKODA CONNECT (skoda-auto.com) It's free for the first year while you get used to using it, then the cost of renewing licences varies during the year as they often have sale offers. (You can buy during a sale period and have the new licence period added to your existing licence, so you don't lose out.) It's a higher car than an Octavia, so will probably not corner or handle as well if you're that way inclined. And it's a long time since I owned an Octavia... and I find the handling and power perfectly satisfactory, but my last cars have been a Golf SV 1.4TSI DSG and a Golf Plus 1.6TDI DSG, with this one probably being the most powerful car I've owned . The fuel economy doesn't match my Golfs, but as my annual mileage has fallen it's not a problem to me. And my insurance went up less than I'd anticipated too, due I think to all its driver assist packages. Sounds like a test drive would help. Chris

Perhaps I should also mention that from MY21 onwards, Karoqs have been 'blessed' with the MIB3 infotainment system. As the threads in this forum show there have been many complaints about this 'upgrade' from the previous MIB2 systems, although the latest software does seem to be helping. The online map updates work for me, but I know others have had problems. But it also locks you into paying for the Skoda Connect licence each year unless they eventually get the promised 'update via USB-C' feature to work. The user interface for the mapping software is quite different, and poorly documented. But I find the maps to be accurate for roads (if less so for POIs like petrol stations) and the forecast journey times work for me. The advertised feature of sending destinations from a phone or PC to the car does not work reliably, and the Web Radio only works if you buy a Dataplan from Cubic Telecom, or route the dataflow via your phone. Chris

I am very pleased with my MY21 2.0 TSI DSG 4x4 Sportline. I also had DCC fitted, and prefer the Comfort setting to the normal one. But it does give a 'floating' ride reminiscent of my old Citroens from many years ago. I don't understand why journalists say they can't feel the difference in the settings as they are quite obvious to me; and the added bonus is that it is a dynamic system that is working all the time as you corner. I also went for the Progressive Steering (as it was called then) which varies the steering ratio as you turn the wheel, so it can be quite direct at small steering angles but 'speeds up' as you approach full lock. (I'm not convinced that Routemaster1461 above is talking about the Dynamic Chassis Control system, as he then talks about the Cruise Control!) I've still only driven around 4,500 miles so far thanks to lockdowns aborting our normal French driving holidays, but I'm getting around 35mpg for weekly shopping trips of about 16 miles out and back, while long motorway journeys at 70 give me around 45mpg. (I suspect I may be a more gentle driver than you though if you use your Octavia vRS to the full ) If you're looking at the facelifted Karoq, the engines and aerodynamics have been improved so the fuel economy should be better. But due to chip shortages some of the assist systems I have on my car are not yet available (eg Emergency Assist and Area View). I've had DSG cars now for around 12 years, and have no problems with the wet plate DQ381-7A system. In previous Golfs I've had to drop into Sport mode now and then to overtake or climb steep winding hills, but the power available in the 2.0TSI means I seldom need to do this anymore. And while I've been out in the snow last winter, I haven't really tested the 4x4 drive... but it's reassuring to know it's there if needed, even on summer Bridgestone Dueler tyres. Let me know if I can be of anymore help. Chris

The design is not frozen until you have a manufacturing slot, so you should be able to change its colour I should think. But bear in mind that the colour can also affect its manufacturing date as some are more popular than others. Chris

Ironically, the Skoda Storyboard website makes the following claim (and note that Skoda dealers charge around £42.13 for the 'official' front pair!) Pavel Švejdar recommends buying original brand wipers rather than cheap alternatives. “The cheaper versions may claim to fit a number of different brands and models, but they never fit as well as the originals. The same applies to other spare parts. In addition, generic products usually have a large universal adapter connecting the joint and the arm, which is ugly when seen from inside and outside the car,” Švejdar explains. Chris

I think it is the number of notifications available... if you 'pull' the control centre screen down with the tab just above the time display, then click on the Notification tab at the bottom of the screen, that will confirm it. Chris

Others will have more expertise here, but my take is that wireless charging 'merely' needs the the base of the phone box to be replaced (under the sliding cover). But wireless car play probably requires the MIB3 software, and that is not a viable update to your car I suspect. Bear in mind that many of us with the MIB3 system would prefer we had the older version, so you may well be happier with your present system! Also, while the new facelifted Karoq has some nice features such as the Matrix headlights and dynamic indicators, chip shortages mean that many of the assist systems available on the older cars are not yet listed - such as Area View, Park Assist, Trailer Assist, the Canton sound system and Emergency Assist. Chris

I agree. The Skoda UK August brochure included Park Assist, Trailer Assist, Area View, Emergency Assist and the Canton sound system as options, and the Czech press release for the facelifted model stated these would still be available. However they are not shown in the Skoda UK brochure. The press release also said predictive cruise control would be offered, but we have adaptive cruise control with collision prediction instead. The packaging of the options also means you have to buy heated rear seats if you want the heated windscreen, but does include DCC as part of the Performance Pack on pages 19 and 26. Interestingly the illustration on page 22 clearly shows the blind spot detection lights, although they are not mentioned. Has this feature been overlooked, or is the picture of a EU only car? I also see they are still claiming it has web radio, which is only true if you stump up for an additional data plan to receive the signals! Chris PS: From comparing other Skoda EU websites, it looks very much as if these missing options are due to chip supply problems rather than Skoda UK deliberately restricting our choices!