Hi there:)

Wonder if you experts can help with this one. We have left a deposit (£200) on a '51' plate Fabia Comfort TDI which has 70k on the clock. The car is immaculate and drives superb, however there were two 'faults' that I identified on checking the car over and these faults were agreed to be rectified before collection (which is Saturday) and conditional on the completion of the sale.

The first 'fault' was that the air-con was not working at all, however when the button was switched on, the compressor did not engage so put that down to a re-gas being required, so not overduly concerned here.

However the second issue concerns me more but initially seems very minor. The interior of the car was totally immaculate but the drivers seat was slightly 'loose' - you can 'rock' it for and aft. When I drove it it was not noticeable but was disconcerting and I pointed this out to the garage who stated that it would be looked at and put right. My initial thoughs was that the bolts for the runners just need nipping up but when I rocked the seat I could not see any movement on the runners so I assume that the runners that attach to the base (rather than the floor) are loose.

I have received a message on my voicemail this afternoon to say that the car had been serviced and MOT'd and was ready for collection, however he stated that the mechanics had looked at the seat and "there was nothing wrong with the seat, it is just wear and tear for the age/mileage"! I find this statement outrageous as my F-in-L has a 2000 81k Fabia which has no issues and my own 2001 Octavia TDi with 138k on the clock does not have loose seats!!

As you can imagine I am not happy about this but before I insist on the fault being rectified prior to sale, I need to know a couple of points:

1) Is a loose drivers seat a common fault on the Fabia and is it easy rectified (I am assuming not as if it is just a couple of bolts need tightening the garage would have done this!)

2) Can I still insist that the fault is rectified prior to completing the sale and that if I cancel the sale, am I entitled to a full refund of the deposit due to all work not being carried out as agreed?

Your help and advice is much appreciated!!

Thanks

Dan

Our 51 plate Fabia Comfort had 130,000 when we PX'd it and there was no hint of the seat rocking or wobbling. If you're not happy with it then don't buy it unless it is fixed (or replaced) as agreed - presumably your receipt for the deposit/order form states this as a condition of sale?

As for your rights, you might find a look through this site useful; Consumer Direct

According to motuk.com a loose drivers seat would not pass the MOT test.

SEATS

• The driver's and the front passenger's seats must be secure

• All seat backs must be securable in the upright position

Hi there:)

Wonder if you experts can help with this one. We have left a deposit (£200) on a '51' plate Fabia Comfort TDI which has 70k on the clock. The car is immaculate and drives superb, however there were two 'faults' that I identified on checking the car over and these faults were agreed to be rectified before collection (which is Saturday) and conditional on the completion of the sale.

The first 'fault' was that the air-con was not working at all, however when the button was switched on, the compressor did not engage so put that down to a re-gas being required, so not overduly concerned here.

However the second issue concerns me more but initially seems very minor. The interior of the car was totally immaculate but the drivers seat was slightly 'loose' - you can 'rock' it for and aft. When I drove it it was not noticeable but was disconcerting and I pointed this out to the garage who stated that it would be looked at and put right. My initial thoughs was that the bolts for the runners just need nipping up but when I rocked the seat I could not see any movement on the runners so I assume that the runners that attach to the base (rather than the floor) are loose.

I have received a message on my voicemail this afternoon to say that the car had been serviced and MOT'd and was ready for collection, however he stated that the mechanics had looked at the seat and "there was nothing wrong with the seat, it is just wear and tear for the age/mileage"! I find this statement outrageous as my F-in-L has a 2000 81k Fabia which has no issues and my own 2001 Octavia TDi with 138k on the clock does not have loose seats!!

As you can imagine I am not happy about this but before I insist on the fault being rectified prior to sale, I need to know a couple of points:

1) Is a loose drivers seat a common fault on the Fabia and is it easy rectified (I am assuming not as if it is just a couple of bolts need tightening the garage would have done this!)

2) Can I still insist that the fault is rectified prior to completing the sale and that if I cancel the sale, am I entitled to a full refund of the deposit due to all work not being carried out as agreed?

Your help and advice is much appreciated!!

Thanks

Dan

I'm sure I've read of a wobbly or looser driver's seat base has been replaced under warranty a number of times on this site. It can be an issue on these cars. Though fingers crossed, not on mine.

If the garage is a Skoda garage, challenge them over it IMO. They should be able to back up thier position and they should be aware of the potential issues.

HTH

J.

When I first bought my car I noticed that when and only when the seat was lowered to the lowest position it could be rocked back and forth. I complained to the dealer and they replaced it under warranty. It still rocked but I'm sure not as much. Does yours rock in any position or just when very low?

Yeah, my wife's wobbles (probably less than 5mm fore-aft) with the seat in the lowest position, but goes 'solid' when the lever's pulled up one or more times. Been through two MoTs with the problem though, so it'd be up to you whether it was enough to put you off completely...

Thanks for all the replies so far!

Anyway a bit of an update. I have spoken to a couple of Skoda specialists in the Nottingham area and they are not aware of any issues with drivers seats. I also rang the Skoda dealership (Bickertons of Sheffield) where all the services were carried out on this car to see if they had any issues with loose driver's seats in Fabia's in general and if they had any record of issues with this particular car, of which they said there were no issues.

After this, I called the guy at the garage selling the car for him to explain about the seat and his story was a bit different to the message he left on the phone! He told me that they had looked at it and had managed to make it better, but still had some movement evident. He told me that they were looking at it again today and when I rang later this afternoon, it was still down in the workshop, so at least they appear to be doing something.

A few people have mentioned about a recall by Skoda for this issue. Could anybody give me more details? If I ring Skoda Customer Services, would they be able to tell me this information?

I think that we will still go through with the purchase as the rest of the car is great so a minor issue that if we are still not happy with, could possibly get it fixed fairly cheaply by possibly using a secondhand seat frame.

Thanks

Dan:)

Hi Octavidan,

My Dec 2000 Fabia is at 137,000 miles.

1. The drivers seat is a little rocky back and forwards and has been for ages. Never failed its MOT on this. I'd kind of put it down to wear, that's all. I've used it virtually every day for 8.5 years and I'm not a tiny bloke!

2. More concerned about the AC failure. My car has just developed this exact fault. Gas charge is OK, so I think its probably a sensor. Lots to read on this forum about AC faults. It could be an expensive one to fix.

Hi Octavidan,

My Dec 2000 Fabia is at 137,000 miles.

1. The drivers seat is a little rocky back and forwards and has been for ages. Never failed its MOT on this. I'd kind of put it down to wear, that's all. I've used it virtually every day for 8.5 years and I'm not a tiny bloke!

2. More concerned about the AC failure. My car has just developed this exact fault. Gas charge is OK, so I think its probably a sensor. Lots to read on this forum about AC faults. It could be an expensive one to fix.

I have been assured that the air-con has been recharged and is now working okay but don't know until I check on Saturday. We'll wait and see.....

Dan

I have been assured that the air-con has been recharged and is now working okay but don't know until I check on Saturday. We'll wait and see.....

Dan

That's the response we got from the place we bought got SWMBO's car from - the trouble is that the AC does blow cold at first if the evap temp sensor's gone...

was the seat issue resolved?