Warranty woes

[dstev2000]

Well it started up fine when I used it earlier, I have left it overnight with very little fuel in the tank so the ultimate test will be tomorrow morning when I use it for work.

[dstev2000]

Balls.........................

Left the car sitting all day Sunday, went to start it on Monday morning for work...............

Cough, cough, cough, cough, splutter, splutter etc. All on a 3/4 tank of diesel

There can't be much left to cause the fuel to disappear from the top of the engine.

Injector letting by? porous cylinder head? fecked if I know Saying that, I have had a very slow coolant loss over the last 2 years that hasn't ever been diagnosed :rubchin:

All I know is the new tandem pump hasn't cured the problem so it is going back in to West sussex Skoda a week today.

I think the master techies down there will earn their pennies on this one

Dear Skoda UK

Can I have a new engine in my car please? preferably one that will start first time once in a while

[dstev2000]

A big update which will no doubt descend into a full on rant :rant:

the car went back in for another week to have new injector seals fitted. Didn't fix it.

It went back in a week ago ho have the fuel lines tested and/or changed. Didn't fix it.

Spoke to the techie at length and gave him the exact symptoms and my thoughts on the matter.

They have now confirmed combustion gases are leaking into the coolant which means coolant is getting into one or two bores when it cools down causing bad starting the next day. Could be a head gasket but most likely a porous head (Car was built in May/June 2007 - BKD engine in case anyone is wondering)

Skoda are now saying this is unrelated to the original poor/non starting problem reported 2 F*****G YEARS AND 72,000 MILES AGO and therefore there is no warranty claim to be made.

To say I am simply incandescent with rage is an understatement.

I have been in contact with trading standards who say I have a strong case and that Skoda UK have breached the terms of the warranty by not achieving a satisfactory fix for the starting problems and constant coolant loss. The car has been pressure tested on numerous occasions at several main dealers, no leak found.

Why are they so thick?? the problem was logged at circa 40k miles and has never been fixed. They are obliged to put the problem right no matter what the mileage is now.

I think I have been MORE than patient with this whole thing and they still turn round and kick me in the teeth.

This car cost over 20 grand, SWMBO's vRS was just under 20k, my last 2 Octavia's were 35k between them too, add all of the dealer servicing to it and there is a serious whack of money there but that obviously doesn't seem to count for ****.

Add the amount of money I have lost ****ing about getting the car to the dealers and picking it up again as well as going to site with inadequate equipment to do my job as it wont fit in the loan car (not the dealer's fault I admit but it's still a ****er).

Other than my contact with trading standards and the imminent recorded letter to the MD of Skoda UK, is there anything else that could be tried? I have even written to What Car? magazine with the story.

One thing is for sure - I haven't got >£2000 sitting around at the moment, especially now SWMBO has quit her job to stay at home to look after our 11 week old son :(

EDIT: Is Robert Hazelwood still the MD of SUK? I think Chris Craft buggered off to VW from memory.

[cheezemonkhai]

What Car and Watchdog seem like two options.

I'm personally disgusted with some of the issues with skoda in the UK.

[expostmanpat]

Only just read this thread and sorry to hear of your woes, I think you have made my mind up between a Octy L&K or a Mazda6 though when I finally get round to ordering a new estate.

[cheezemonkhai]

Only just read this thread and sorry to hear of your woes, I think you have made my mind up between a Octy L&K or a Mazda6 though when I finally get round to ordering a new estate.

Yeah, I have to say skoda seem to have shot themselves in the foot being like this to customers. I've had a couple and will most likely look elsewhere when I'm next after a car.

[dstev2000]

Its the same old story - I don't actually have a problem with the car despite it's reliability. I have a real issue with the dismissive attitude of Skoda UK.

The bods that make the decisions over warranty claims are impossible to get hold of, I can never get past the customer care team despite asking/pleading/demanding to speak to someone higher up the tree. All I want is a straight and honest explanation as to why I cannot have my car fixed under warranty.

As soon as you get even remotely technical with them they slam the door with the 'I am not technically trained so I cannot comment on it' line.

[ric04vrs]

i can't believe they are fobbing you off like this, screw the barstewards, Watchdog, What car, Trading Standards, do them any way you can

[moley]

I would be writing to SUK and asking them if the current starting problem is unrelated to the original starting problem could they please supply the documented evidence to show what the original fault was and when it was cured to your satisfaction.

[Captain Sisko]

Whats an E61?

[ishsuperb7260]

Hello fellow briskodians!

 

My car's left headlamp has the problem if water seepage from inside.

 

The car had met with an accident and the headlamp was changed as per insurance guidelines.

 

Ever since the said headlamp was changed , this problem developed in it.

 

I had shown the same to the dealer , he asked me to bring proof in the form of pictures showing the water inside the headlamp.

 

He said Skoda will replace it within part warranty , which lasts for two years of installing the part irrespective of the car's warranty.

 

Since I was assured peace of mind for two years , I was relieved such that , I had two years of bringing them "proof."

 

Now well within the part warranty period , when I had gone to dealer for the same problem , this time with a USB drive of pictures and even a short movie clip of the same problem , I was told that now not only they require proof but they need to do their own tests to check the same.

 

What I had thought to be a simple part exchange turned out to be a ruthless long exercise , involving removal of the bumper, then the said headlamp .and then installing everything back

 

After this they taped the headlamp and then they submerged it in water tray to check for leakage!

 

If they didn't believe in my pictures and they had to do their plethora of tests , I fail to understand why didn't this happen earlier?

 

Now 4 hours of driving inside the workshop I went back home driving with the same leaking headlamp.

 

Is it this hard for Skoda to trust a customer and to honor warranty claim?

 

I have attached the images, have a look.

 

Also the video which I showed to the dealer, I had deliberately tried to rub the water with my hand in the same so that they couldn't say that the water was outside.

[Ootohere]

Did they do all this testing at their hourly rate and at no cost to you, but still no Replacement light unit fitted?

They are a total waste of space really.

 

Please pass that story onto Skoda UK Customer Services and your pictures.

 

george

[ishsuperb7260]

Did they do all this testing at their hourly rate and at no cost to you, but still no Replacement light unit fitted?

They are a total waste of space really.

 

Please pass that story onto Skoda UK Customer Services and your pictures.

 

george

Yes, the entire procedure , they did on their own at no cost to me but the part was not replaced.

 

I was told that they are going to send an enquiry to their head office for the same , and I will be informed of whatever the headquarters of Skoda have to say about the same.

 

Hopefully the claim will pass otherwise I would have to take this up with the higher ups.

 

I had no idea getting a simple thing as a warranty claim can be quite a task!   :'(

Edited 22 August, 2014 by ishsuperb7260

[Ootohere]

The 2 Year Parts Warranty might be with Skoda, but they need to take it up with their Supplier if they do not manufacture them.

 

The Accident Repair Guarantee & the Repairer was the place to start with any issues or faults with parts used, as soon as any issue showed up.

The H20 in the Headlight was a clear to see issue.

it is not the customers job to waste time and effort, that is why Insurance Guidleine Repairs and Official Manufacturers Parts have Guarantees and Warranties, and cost more..

 

george

[ishsuperb7260]

The 2 Year Parts Warranty might be with Skoda, but they need to take it up with their Supplier if they do not manufacture them.

 

The Accident Repair Guarantee & the Repairer was the place to start with any issues or faults with parts used, as soon as any issue showed up.

The H20 in the Headlight was a clear to see issue.

it is not the customers job to waste time and effort, that is why Insurance Guidleine Repairs and Official Manufacturers Parts have Guarantees and Warranties, and cost more..

 

george

I couldn' t agree with you more!

 

To add insult to injury the dealer is 50 kms away from my place!

 

That means I have traveled 100 kms in two different occasions and wasted two days of my life and still waiting for the approval!

 

[Ootohere]

Sorry, just spotted your Location.  I had missed that. 

I hope they sort think out sooner rather than later.

[gadgetman]

You need to take this up with the repairer

[ishsuperb7260]

After bugging the dealer for three straight days , finally came to know that my warranty claim has been passed and Skoda is shipping the headlight from factory .

So I should be getting the replacement in 10 days or so.

[ishsuperb7260]

I was called yesterday and told that the part has arrived and was asked to bring the car today in order to get the replacement done.

What I thought would be a 30 min swap job turned out to be an

ordeal for 4 hours and counting.

Supposedly it is much less of a hassle if you get the part changed on payment but if you have to claim warranty be prepared for an ordeal.

And I also came to know that if you get the headlight changed under warranty you are still supposed to use the old "bulbs" which were in your earlier headlamp.

As I type this I am stll waiting for them to close the job card before I leave back for home.

[ishsuperb7260]

Quick question , since the age difference between the two headlamps is roughly 4 years.

The stock one has turned a bit dull over the years.

The lighting part is A ok but looking at it during daytime reveals the age.

Any pointers how to treat this ? Or is the blackening inside the headlamp and the only option is to replace this one too ?

[KenONeill]

I don't know how available they are in India, but there are headlight reconditioning kits available in Europe and North America now. They basically let you polish out he yellowing and micro-scratching from an old "glass".

[ishsuperb7260]

Hello people, another news regarding the warranty work that happened today.

After traveling 50 kms back to my home from the service center , I received a call from the warranty manager of the dealership.

And was asked where I was and if I am nearby I should visit them ASAP.

Apparently they didn't upgrade the software post headlamp replacement, and she said that the car could breakdown because of that.

I honestly didn't even know how to react.

Today was my third round to the dealership for the same purpose.

First time they said to bring proof and they will replace the part under warranty.

Second time I was told that the company policy has changed and inspite of the proof they will conduct their own test.

Third time I went to them for getting the part replaced , they kept me and my car for roughly 4 hours for replacing a headlamp which apparently is such a technical procedure.

Post replacement , after reaching my home I get a call citing me to bring the car back for software update.

According to them Skoda had just intimated them to do the same.

Now I am having second thoughts about taking this car out.

Suppose this breakdowns in the way back to the dealership what am I supposed to do?