My carefully driven 2004 Fabia VRS, bought new and now with 120,000 km on the clock, seems to have blown the Turbo and I'm trying to understand why.

welcome to briskoda

Could be any number of reasons

1) you've thrashed the living daylights off it

2) You've asked too much power when cold, and have not allowed a turbo cool down / off-boost period before switching off

3) Oil starvation for some reason

4) Manufacturer defect

5) Foreign object sucked through the filter system and lodged itself in the blades.

Very difficult to know. Usually it is 2) that commonly leads to premature turbo death as owners don't respect the need to warm up & cool down the turbo when driving.

Welcome - pop across and see Rob, he'll know the answer

Steve

Could be any number of reasons

1) you've thrashed the living daylights off it

2) You've asked too much power when cold, and have not allowed a turbo cool down / off-boost period before switching off

3) Oil starvation for some reason

4) Manufacturer defect

5) Foreign object sucked through the filter system and lodged itself in the blades.

Very difficult to know. Usually it is 2) that commonly leads to premature turbo death as owners don't respect the need to warm up & cool down the turbo when driving.

mmm, thanks - it was well warmed up, it certainly hasn't been thrashed and it was a nice clean piece of road. I could accept that it just happens, occasionally, and I'm just unlucky.

Welcome! Sorry to hear of yours problems....