I have a SKODA Octavia 1.6 with the 77kw (105) diesel engine from new on a 2012 plate. I have had no problems EVER with it.
9th December Car Sails through MOT with 89,662 on clock emissions OK and everything fine
Putting up Chrissy decorations I find the letter from SKODA UK inviting me to have the to correct the NOx defeat software, they call it EA 189 service action - basically a new firmware for the car.
Ring WINCHESTER MOTOR COMPANY and book car in for the 18th December
17th December - phone call from service team - JUST to confirm you must have NO faults on your dash or old ones in the memory or any old ones in the memory or they wont do it - NO CURRENT or OLD FAULTS so happy they can proceed
18th December 08:00 - arrive at dealer, car running fine mileage 89,838 Again asked to declare NO Faults active or old and sign a bit of paper authorising the service action, ALL OK and start to wait for it to be completed. fifteen min task takes just over TWO HOURS an just before I get the car back they email me a video of an inspection of my car with no faults noted except two perished stops. I eventually get my car back I am presented with a certificate of completion and a copy of the TRUST BUILDING MEASURE to assure me my car would be no different after the fix and they guarantee some items for a further 2 years or up to 160,000 miles. advised oil a bit low and as had been told after the fix some cars use oil so not surprised to be told to check it.
I drive out the dealer car seems ok and head up to the motorway to drive home when get on the motorway the engine starts becoming rough and noisy still driving so complete journey off the motorway to home address so I can ring dealer.
I take a video of the engine and noise as it is so odd I have never heard it before.
Dealer initially says it must be something I have done since left the dealer explain 15.5 mile is total journey to home - reminded them that the warranty they have LITERALLY just given me says about noise and they say well you will have to bring it back for us to look at it and also can't go anywhere else or warranty voided. Had to got to a GP appointment so started to return the car to dealer couple of hours later. Car started again rough I pulled out of my road and onto a slight hill and the engine started to seriously misfire a slight press of the accelerator and boom smoke from under the bonnet and the car grind to a halt. Mileage is now 89,854 - 16 miles total (so much for the excuse that part of the delay was a test drive of the vehicle to check it out because unless they disconnected the speedo sensor there is not enough millage on it)
I ring dealer this time very definite that the fault must be mine am I sure nobody has been tampering with the car. - again NO - it has now done only an additional 30m. I insist they honour the warranty. I Am told if any body else touches the car warranty is voided but they along with ALL the other main dealer in my area DONT recover vehicles even warrantied ones.
£120 pounds later I arrive at the dealer with the car - brief look under bonnet and they say without even undoing anything YES it is definitely down to miss servicing at some time. (I can only assume SKODA have x-ray equipment). I push that I am not accepting that and the car gets left with them to look at an I get a loan car.
21st December text message to ring which I do and am told dealer is now certain that somebody has removed my injectors and put them back in without the washers and used old bolts because one has snapped off and was under the cover on top of engine - pointed out full service history is with themselves and one other specialist over two years ago so highly unlikely. THEN THE BUMMER - BUT SIR CAN YOU PROVE THAT NOBODY ELSE HAS TOUCHED IT - this became their go to comment whenever I ask a probing question.
Told that they would not do anything else unless I paid to have the engine opened and inspected (£200) BUT if I take it anywhere else warranty is voided. I felt over a barrel as I needed a car to get to my keyworker job. - Agree to allow further investigation. - get a phone call that the engine is completely wrecked and will cost about £5,800 to fix, dealer confirmed car worth £3,500 - told to come and get it out of there garage and return the loan.
I then ring SKODA UK on 0800 298 6839 and they raise a case but it is before Christmas and unlikely to get speedy reply.
23rd December arrive at garage to find a £200 pound inspection involves removing the rocker cover and two injectors (I suspect they removed themselves mind you) and apparently looking in the cylinder with a borescope. Again definite that the cost would be £5,800 to fix and would probably not be warrantied didn't tell me to definitely SCRAP the car but was quite supportive of that suggestion. Thankfully I had a mate with me and have been able to arrange off road storage so car is still intact albeit with a small box of bit's in the boot.
For my job as an emergency driver we use SKODA's as Rapid response and one of my works mechanic's suggested that the inject may have failed and caused a "hydrolic"?? lock and literally blown the injector out by force - I wonder if anybody here has heard of this happening around the reprogram.
Apart from a call on 30th DEC that failed to connect properly I rang back on 0113 733 400 immediately I have Heard NOTHING from SKODA UK although my email assures me that they will contact me quickly.
What I am trying to get from the forum is how likely is it that a perfectly working car no faults etc would suddenly pick the 15 miles after the fix to blow up.
PLEASE ANYBODY with any advice please feel free to chip in as I am way out of my depth here.