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Updated for MY23 cars. All cars have a unique 17 character identity code – their Vehicle Identification Number or VIN. For Karoqs this is displayed at the bottom lefthand corner of the windscreen, on a sticker at the base of the middle body pillar, and stamped into the righthand suspension turret under the bonnet. It takes the form: TMB LJ7 NU 7J5 012345 and can be decoded as follows: The first 3 characters are TMB for Škoda cars. The 4th character tells you the chassis type: J = left-hand drive FWD, K = right-hand drive FWD, L = left-hand drive 4x4 and M = right-hand drive 4x4. The 5th character tells you the engine: E = 2.0 TSI 190PS, G = 1.6 TDI 115PS, J = 2.0 TDI 150PS, M = 2.0 TDI 190 PS, P = 1.0 TSI 115PS, R = 1.5 TSI 150PS. (Anyone know the code for the 2.0 TDI 115PS engine or Russian 1.6 MPI engines?) The 6th character tells you how many airbags the car has: 2 = 2 front airbags, 4 = 2 front and 2 side airbags, 5 = 2 fronts + 2 sides + 1 knee airbag, 6 = 2 front airbags + 2 sides + 2 heads, 7 = 2 front airbags + 2 sides + 2 heads + 1 knee airbag, 8 = 2 front airbags + 4 sides + 2 heads, 9 = 2 front bags + 4 sides + 2 heads + 1 knee airbag. The 7th and 8th character tell you the vehicle model: NU = the Karoq (2017 on). The 9th character is a check digit to validate the code. The 10th character tells you the car's model year: J = MY2018 (ie manufactured between summer 2017 and summer 2018), K = MY2019 (ie manufactured between summer 2018 and summer 2019), L = MY2020 (ie manufactured between summer 2019 and summer 2020), M = MY2021 (ie manufactured between summer 2020 and summer 2021), N = MY2022 (ie manufactured between summer 2021 and summer 2022), P = MY2023 (ie manufactured between summer 2022 and summer 2023). The 11th character tells you where your car was built: 0 to 4 = Mladá Boleslav, Czechia; 5 = Kvasiny, Czechia; 7 or 8 = Vrchlabi, Czechia; B = Solomonovo, Ukraine; H = Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; J = Osnabruck, Germany; K = Kaluga, Russia; N = Mladá Boleslav, Czechia. Then finally the 12th to 17th numbers are the unique production number for that production line and year. If anyone has a character in their VIN not listed above, please give me the details so I can update this guide. Thanks Chris

They are included in UK cars, but you will have to check with Skoda Spain to find out what should have been included with your car. What does your invoice say? Does your car have the Amundsen or Columbus infotainment system installed? (The Bolero looks similar but has no sat nav function.) Chris

There was a recall in April 2022 for many VAG cars with the 2.0TSI engine because the engine cover could become dislodged and overheat. This included the Kodiaq but not the Karoq for some reason. Perhaps Skoda have now decided to remove them all to avoid any fire problems until they can source one that is fire-resistant? Chris

The September 21 Karoq brochure quotes the Sportline 2.0TSI WLTP fuel consumption as 35.3 - 34.5, while the April 22 brochure quotes 37.2 - 36.7. I seem to remember the MY22 press release mentioning some tweeks to the engine to reduce CO2 figures etc. Interestingly the facelifted Karoq which is claimed to have improved aerodynamics quotes 36.0 - 35.4 mpg. Chris

Perhaps I should add that my car is a MY21 model, and Skoda claim improved fuel consumption for the MY22 cars. Chris

Are you asking about the petrol 2.0TSI or the diesel 2.0TDI? I have the petrol Sportline 2.0 TSI DSG 4x4, and find my fuel consumption varies between the mid 30s (for 6 mile trips to the shops using a 50mph dual carriageway and 30 mph urban roads) and the mid 40s when cruising at 70 along quiet motorways on longer journeys. These are measured brim to brim when refilling the tank and not from the instrument panel readings which are invariably around 5% better. My records also show the fuel consumption is worse in winter, but the sure-footedness of the 4x4 system and the ready acceleration for overtaking make it very acceptable to me bearing in mind I'm not driving as many miles each year as I used to. Chris

This presumably depends on your dealer, but from the sound of it you may not have a choice where you live. On my last two trips to my preferred dealer (one of three within 20 miles or so - although two are the same franchise) I was given a Karoq and a Kamiq. Admittedly both were fairly low trim levels and one was a manual gearbox, but they both served to get me home and later back to the dealers. I noted that both had dashcams fitted to detect any mad driving! There was no mention of any charge for the cars, Chris

These updates are usually minor tweeks to the 'shop' menu. Although my navigation database software updates itself every few months it doesn't seem to give me any prompts to download it. The main system software (versions 0276, 0302, 0304 etc) can only be downloaded and installed by a dealer as they are ginormous! Chris

The warning triangle I bought had the VAG part number 8KO 860 251 / 1Y0.093.055, and fits perfectly. It was quite expensive at £39 back in 2014, but is good quality. Chris

I transferred mine from my previous Golf SV, and actually bought it in an Audi dealers as they were the cheapest of my local VAG dealers. Chris

The filler cap locks when you lock the doors, and it's this solenoid that can stick when you unlock them. I've seen reports that you can force the lid open with a screwdriver wrapped in a cloth, but that breaks the plastic loop on the inside of the filler cap needing it all to be replaced. I've never experienced this problem myself, but seen suggestions that banging your hand on the bodywork by the filler cap may 'unstick' it. Chris

Only a dealer can update the car's main software, all we can do as drivers is to let the car update its maps and 'shop' function software. How old is your car? If it's got the SOS button on the roof above the interior mirror, is the led strip next to it green? (In my car it can be either green, red or off. (Green is OK, Red is faulty, and off shows it can't find a mobile signal.) There have been instances where the SOS fault system fails intermittently, with it working again when the car is next used. In my case, I was able to reset it by holding the power switch for the infotainment system down for 10 seconds, forcing it to reboot. But the permanent cure was to have the car's main software updated by my dealer from 0270 to 0276. (Later cars have higher version numbers for the software, and shouldn't experience the fault.) Dealers should treat this as a known fault and update the software for you, but it's a lengthy job so they don't want to do it unless the fault has occured. Chris

The steering wheel is the home for the electronic control unit for the Travel Assist system, and I found that replacing this cured my problems with it. I also had a software update but I think this was connected with the loss of the SOS system rather than the Travel Assist. A dirty sensor on the windscreen or front grill can also stop the Travel Assist working, so are your faults connected with dusty conditions down under?? Chris

When I complained to Skoda UK about missing radio logos, and that I couldn't add my own with MIB3 like I used to be able to do, I was told that it was down to a licensing issue. (The file of radio logos on the update website still had many national radio stations missing - like Classic FM, Smooth etc.) So it would seem that MIB3 radios can't pick the logo up from the broadcast signal, and Skoda wouldn't pay to provide the logo itself. Now that explanation does seem a bit nonsensical to me as I'd have thought the radio stations would want their logo being displayed to advertise what you were listening to, but I still have gaps on my presets as a result. And I agree that you can still identify the presets, but they do look a bit odd with a mix of logos and names. I've even considered turning off all the logos just to make them consistent! Chris

They have a flat profile that fits on the top of the roof rail (with a flexible rubber section that flattens out) and the rubber strip under the roof rail pulls it down. So there is no 'claw' to fit under the roof rail. This shows them, but fitted to a wingbar :

I use Thule 775 feet on 127cm Aerobars, which are items I already had from my previous Golfs. (Note: the 775 is not a typo (!) for your 757 feet, they have a strap that runs under the roof rail and clasp the feet down onto the rail.) Chris

If it's not leaking from a hose, and visible on the ground under the car (but beware confusion with the water that drips from the aircon after use in hot temperatures), then it could be a failed gasket with the coolant leaking into the cylinders (expensive!!) How much coolant are you losing? Chris

Never noticed it myself! Chris

I transferred all my music files onto one of these: MyMemory 128GB Dual USB-C & USB 3.1 Flash Drive - 200MB/s £22.99 - Free Delivery | MyMemory It fits under the sliding cover and gives me no problems. (You can also get similar devices with more memory if needed.) Chris PS: the MIB3 infotainment system also lets you set favourites for the memory card - such as individual albums. artists or genres.

Who needs a heated steering wheel with that!! Chris

My car is a MY21, built in October 2020 with the MIB3 system, and so I don't know if this will apply to your car. But hopefully you will still be able to identify the software version now installed. If you press the Menu button on my MIB3 Amundsen system, then choose Settings, System Settings and System Information you'll see the software version fitted to your car. Mine originally came with version 0270, but was updated to 0276 to cure faults such as the User Profile failing to load, and the failure of the SOS/Emergency Call system. No doubt yours will have been updated to avoid any problems that have been identified in the older software (but I would have hoped your Service Manager could have explained this to you and not just fobbed you off.) It does seem at times that Briskoda members get more information about their cars than the dealers do! Chris

Ahh, I can beat you as I bought my first car (a 1950ish Vauxhall Velox) in 1963. With Citroens I always suspected that there was a restriction in the carburettor on delivery to limit the power for the first 500 miles, which was removed at the first service. Chris

These youngsters!!! 😉😉 I well remember having to change the oil every 5000 miles (Duckhams 20/50 please) and cleaning and gapping spark plugs. In fact when I was buying new Citroens in the 1980s, they needed an oil change after the first 500 miles! For one car this was interesting because just after buying it I was driving to the south of France, so I took it into a French dealership for its first service! Chris

I agree. I changed my batteries for Duracells from Boots (well within their sell-by dates but still got the message to change the battery. I then bought some Panasonic ones from Radiospares which had a higher voltage when tested and these were fine. The KESSY keys seem very sensitive to the battery type and of course transmit a radio signal all the time (or when they're moving for cars from MY20 on) saying "I'm here!!". As a result the batteries run down a lot faster than the non-KESSY keys and I plan to change them each year as a precaution. Chris

The alarm did sound briefly, but it wasn't the car horn, and we were in the back of the house watching TV so didn't hear it the first time. It seems to be a higher-pitched siren than the normal horn. Chris