Hey guys -

Some advice needed if I may. The original front exhaust pipe on my 03 80k 1.2 12V Fabia has just started blowing. Being a novice in this area, but always going genuine if I can, to my shock and amazement I have been quoted £210 including parts, labour and VAT for a genuine replacement (not Skoda dealer, but VAG specialist). Not good - call me naive but I wasn't expecting it to be anywhere near this figure. This is versus £91 for a non genuine Bozel version.

I need a few thoughts on the prices I have been quoted, and whether there really is £120 worth of difference between the Bozel and genuine VAG. I have been informed that they are more or less identical anyway - is this correct?

Although I believe in spending extra to obtain quality, I am inclined to think that VAG are just trying it on here - does a genuine front exhaust pipe really justify the VAG price tag?!

Any responses muchly apopreciated!

Guy

Nope

"Nope" what?! :confused:

Bosal? from experience they are useless.

Bosal are usually pretty decent

Just go for the Bosal. Even if it lasts half the time the VAG part would. You could replace it twice and it would still be cheaper than the VAG part.

They are identical, but the Bosal will be milder steel, so not as strong, and more prone to rusting through. But i would think it will sill last a good few years.

Just go for the Bosal. Even if it lasts half the time the VAG part would. You could replace it twice and it would still be cheaper than the VAG part.

They are identical, but the Bosal will be milder steel, so not as strong, and more prone to rusting through. But i would think it will sill last a good few years.

Sorry mate I totally disagree, The Skoda OE exhaust is gonna last a good few years. £210 seems good to me. The aftermarmarkets are really cheap & nasty, some last as long as 18mths. Been caught out with these before and regretted it.

Go for Pukka one mate.

Yea i suppose, as said above, if the quality is so poor it only lasts a year, it might be worth splashing out for the real deal.

You know what your getting with the VAG part, but ive put bog standard parts on other cars and never had any problems, hense my point of view.

Just one thing, what is blowing on your original exhaust? I'd guess its the flexi section that is torn and leaking - or its becoming detached from the front section of that pipe. If this is the problem, one way to fix this is to get a new flexi section welded in, if you are handy with crawling under the car, you should take some measurements - O/D of exhaust just before and after the flexi section + length of flexi section - both full length from just before to just after the flexi section + the actual length of the "meshed" section. Once you have done this go on-line to somewhere like www.senioraftermarket.co.uk and select the correct flexi repair section - chose the "hotest" use one as its near the manifold, and order one - they do supply individuals - I've already got one to fix my wife's Polo 1.4 exhaust. After you get the felexi repair section, find your nearest exhaust pipe fabricator and get his to fit it to your exhaust. The reason that Ii suggest that you buy the felexi repair section yourself is that these exhaust fabricators will only carry a few sizes/lengths and just whack in the nearest fit one - which will probably end up causing resonances and change the length of the exhaust at a critical point - so it will foul something at times, ie when reversing up a hill etc! It is the cat that adds to the cost of this exhaust section, I phoned up the VW dealer before I thought about repairing it - and yes that price certainly made my mind up, this section of exhaust should outlast the rear section as it gets hotter quicker so stays "dry" in use.

A lot of very useful info here, thanks loads guys. Special thanks to rum4mo for that detailed account. I'm afraid I might not possess the sufficient "handy" skills required to do this though, not being a professional and all.

Comments about genuine VAG noted. I can appreciate that their quality will be superior, but certainly at a cost. I do think a lot of my Skoda, and would usually not hesitate to go genuine. Unfortunately, the cost of this particular job is a prohibiting factor, I simply cannot afford to go VAG on this occasion :-( I also note rum4mo's comment about resonances - the car has always run so well, the last thing I want is some crock of **** exhaust pipe making noise and increasing fuel consuption - but I'm really between a rock and a hard place here. £100 is my budget :cries:

Well, had the Bosal fitted today - just couldn't afford the VAG - seems to fit and sound a treat! No excess noise, sounds exactly the same as before. Got a 2 year warranty too so if it goes t*ts up, I still have a longer guarantee than with the genuine part at least! Glad I didn't bend over and let Skoda do their worst now - I think when it comes to the silencer I will go genuine, but for this job the Bosal seems to have done the trick, at a fraction of the cost. Fingers crossed!